Hello users,
Below is the rough draft for the interview I will be holding with the
RIT Labs people. If you can think of any questions you'd like
answered, then please send them to me at:
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=Interview>
Please ensure that you do *not* send your inputs to the list. Check
the TO field before sending.
Also, please try not to submit wish list questions. I've asked what
wish list items are going to be addressed in the interview, and
including them in the interview would make it way too unwieldy.
Well, here are the questions:
- Why did you decide to write an e-mail client package?
- Did you base it from another e-mail client package?
- Why did you choose the name "The Bat!"?
- How is RIT Labs structured? Who works there? Is it an office type
setting or do you do most of the work from home?
- Did you imagine that TB would be this successful?
Now the questions everyone has been waiting for... Everything below
this paragraph concerns version 2.0.
- Are there many changes to the GUI? If so, do you have a couple of
screenshots for us to see?
- v2.0 is rumored to have been built from the ground up (not from
version 1.x), is this true?
- Will v2.0 be backwards compatible? Meaning if someone has problems
with it, can they reinstall v1.x and still have all of their
messages, filters, and acccounts accessible?
- When will the beta be released?
- Is there a planned port to Linux? Will you charge for it?
- v2.0 is rumored to support 3rd party plugins. Is this true? How will
they be implemented (.dll or scripted etc.)
- How extensive will the plugin support be? Meaning, can new menu
items, macros, functions etc. be added?
- Are there any changes to the filtering subsystem? For example,
grouping of like filters, copying filters between accounts etc.
- Are there any changes to the address book? i.e. Different address
book support for different accounts.
- Will v2.0 support non-fixed width fonts?
- Will v2.0 support customizable kludges? i.e. X-**** like X-Website:
http://www.pcwize.com
- v2.0 is rumored to allow us to redefine shortcut keys. Is this true?
Can we create new shortcut key combinations?
- Will we be able to customize our toolbar? Will it allow us to add
new buttons, or can we only use the buttons/functions already in
place?
- There is a rumor floating around that TB will include a usenet news
reader. Is this true? If so, why have you decided to do this? How
much overhead (bloat) will this add.
- Version 2.0 is rumored to support scripting. Can you give us an
example of a short script?
- Will we be able to use scripting in templates to create things like
our own macros? Meaning, can we call scripts (like the %include
macro), or must they be inlined in every template we want to use
them in?
- How extensive is the scripting? Can we call other programs to
perform functions. For example (I'm just making this up), suppose we
want to launch our browser whenever a message includes a URL. I know
the filters currently support this (sort of) in that you can call an
external program on the actions tab, but can we pass different types
of variables (or is that what the %regexp macro stuff is for?)
- Will the scripting support error control? For example, will it
address the long standing bug of not checking an address book group
to see if an address actually exists before performing the "remove
address book entry" function on the actions tab in filters?
- Will version 2.0 fully support HTML both in sending, and viewing
href'd images? How will you handle the issue of unscrupulous web
site developers stealing our e-mail addresses when TB gets the
href'd image? i.e.
http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/Profiling/19991202_joint_profiling_pressrel.html
- Will v2.0 support hooks for virus scanning attachments to messages?
- Will v2.0 fully support MAPI?
- How big (filesize) do you expect v2.0 to be?
- How much do you expect v2.0 to cost? How much will the upgrade from
v1.x cost?
- How many of the items on the wish list are going to be addressed in
v2.0 that I didn't cover above?
One of the main reasons that I have spent so much time and effort in
supporting you guys is that you really listen to what your users have
to say. I think that I speak for the rest of the TB community when I
say that as long as you continue to support us, we will support you in
every way we can!
Leif Gregory
--
TBUDL/TBBT List Moderator
ICQ 216395 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Web Site <http://www.pcwize.com>
TBUDL FAQ <http://www.pcwize.com/thebat/faq.shtml>
Using The Bat! 1.38e under Windows 98 4.10 Build 1998
on a Pentium 266 with 64MB.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
View the TBUDL archive at http://tbudl.thebat.dutaint.com
To send a message to the list moderation team double click here:
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To Unsubscribe from TBUDL, double click here and send the message:
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--------------------------------------------------------------
