NODE 08dc0065Re: Timothy C. May: Mini-mailbombs and Warning Letters
patrick@Verity.COM (Patrick Horgan)Wed, 27 Sep 95 21:42:07 PDT
>
> but the key was not there. Please mail me your key. Thank you.
>
>
> If anyone has a constructive suggestion as to how this mail could be
> changed to convey more information or to be less "threatening", please
> mail me.
>
Sure, I found the above offensive. It comes across in exactly the same
tone as a cop saying, "Please step away from the car." I know it's silly,
but sometimes Please just isn't enough. The simple change:
but the key was not there. Could you please mail me your key? Thanks.
works miracles:) The tone on the rest of it was nice. You have to be careful
with imperatives. They usually sound mean...even with a please at the front.
Patrick
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| (\ |
| Patrick J. Horgan Verity Inc. \\ Have |
| patrick@verity.com 1550 Plymouth Street \\ _ Sword |
| Phone : (415)960-7600 Mountain View \\/ Will |
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NODE 92baefe8Re: Timothy C. May: Mini-mailbombs and Warning Letters
Travis Corcoran <tjic@OpenMarket.com>Thu, 28 Sep 95 09:40:25 PDT
> The simple change:
>
> but the key was not there. Could you please mail me your key? Thanks.
>
> works miracles:) The tone on the rest of it was nice. You have to be careful
> with imperatives. They usually sound mean...even with a please at the front.
I got this letter in favor of some change in the wording, and a few
letters saying "wording is fine as is".
I assume that those who currently have no beef with the wording will
not be offended by the added words, thus I have happilly integrated
Patrick's suggestion.
I have also added to the code a list of people who don't like
receiving key-queries, added a test that gives an error if the user
attempts to send a key-query to such an address, and made TCM's
address the default value for the list.
I have also added code to maintain a disk-based list of addresses that
have already been mailed for a key, and added code that checks against
this list before sending mail.
I'll put this latest version of mail-secure.el (also upgraded to work
with the latest version of mailcrypt (3.3)) on my web page with in a
day or so. Until then, anyone who wants a copy can mail me.
To those who sent polite suggestions: thank you. Your constructive
criticism has helped make mail-secure.el a better tool.
I encourage anyone else who has suggestions or comments to mail me. I
try to be responsive to constructive input, as doing so helps the
package improve, be accepted and get used.
TJIC