• Amiga Offline Mail Readers

    From Simon Geddes to All on Fri Aug 16 12:58:08 2019
    Hi,

    I've been experimenting with some offline mail readers - namely Q-Blue 2.4 and NesQWK. Both seem to work well, and Q-Blue has the added advantage of supporting BlueWave packets. I've been out of the Amiga BBSing world for a long time, so not sure what the current recommendation is for offline readers. I've read about the existence of QWKE. Do any Amiga readers support this?

    Thanks!
  • From Grant Taylor@3:770/3 to Simon Geddes on Fri Aug 16 21:31:01 2019
    On 8/15/19 5:58 PM, Simon Geddes wrote:
    Hi,

    Hi,

    I've been experimenting with some offline mail readers - namely
    Q-Blue 2.4 and NesQWK. Both seem to work well, and Q-Blue has the
    added advantage of supporting BlueWave packets. I've been out of
    the Amiga BBSing world for a long time, so not sure what the current recommendation is for offline readers. I've read about the existence
    of QWKE. Do any Amiga readers support this?

    Wasn't QWK files (packets?) something from BBSs?

    I would think that you would need something, like a BBS, to receive the
    email, package it up, for you to then download it from, read / reply /
    compose offline, and then subsequently upload to the BBS.

    So, what is going to be the server (BBS) side that you exchange email
    with? Will it handle your SMTP email?

    Chances are good that I'm completely wrong. In which case, I'd like to
    read a correction and learn something.

    Thanks!

    You're welcome.



    --
    Grant. . . .
    unix || die

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From mark lewis@1:3634/12.73 to Grant Taylor on Sat Aug 17 22:06:16 2019

    On 2019 Aug 16 21:31:00, you wrote to Simon Geddes:

    I've been experimenting with some offline mail readers - namely
    Q-Blue 2.4 and NesQWK. Both seem to work well, and Q-Blue has the
    added advantage of supporting BlueWave packets. I've been out of
    the Amiga BBSing world for a long time, so not sure what the current
    recommendation is for offline readers. I've read about the existence
    of QWKE. Do any Amiga readers support this?

    Wasn't QWK files (packets?) something from BBSs?

    BBSes still exist and yes, QWK offline mail packets are messages from BBSes...

    I would think that you would need something, like a BBS, to receive
    the email, package it up, for you to then download it from, read /
    reply / compose offline, and then subsequently upload to the BBS.

    that's exactly how it works...

    So, what is going to be the server (BBS) side that you exchange email with? Will it handle your SMTP email?

    SMTP mail depends on the software used on the BBS... some do support it, others
    do not... those that do not may be coerced into using it via packet manipulation...

    Chances are good that I'm completely wrong. In which case, I'd like
    to read a correction and learn something.

    maybe the above helps?

    )\/(ark
    30+ year SYSOP

    Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set
    them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
    ... Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
    ---
    * Origin: (1:3634/12.73)
  • From Grant Taylor@3:770/3 to mark lewis on Sat Aug 17 21:41:31 2019
    On 8/17/19 3:06 AM, mark lewis wrote:
    BBSes still exist and yes, QWK offline mail packets are messages
    from BBSes...

    that's exactly how it works...

    ACK

    SMTP mail depends on the software used on the BBS... some do support
    it, others do not... those that do not may be coerced into using it
    via packet manipulation...

    Please elaborate on what you mean by "coerced into using it via packet manipulation.

    First, what is the "packet" that is being manipulated in this context?
    Is it a BBS term? Is it a TCP/IP packet? Is it something else?

    Second, what sort of coercion would be required? What would it be
    changed from? What would it be changed to?

    maybe the above helps?

    Thank you for the confirmation.

    )\/(ark

    Nice ASCII art. ;-)

    30+ year SYSOP

    Nice.

    Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this
    would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines
    to enslave them.

    ~chuckle~

    ... Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

    That depends if it's a 12-hour or a 24-hour clock. }:-)



    --
    Grant. . . .
    unix || die

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From mark lewis@1:3634/12.73 to Grant Taylor on Sun Aug 18 14:01:34 2019

    On 2019 Aug 17 21:41:30, you wrote to me:

    SMTP mail depends on the software used on the BBS... some do support
    it, others do not... those that do not may be coerced into using it
    via packet manipulation...

    Please elaborate on what you mean by "coerced into using it via packet manipulation.

    in the case of FTN mail, one might use a gating package like GIGO to convert the SMTP mail to FTN mail and have the BBS process it for further dissemination...

    )\/(ark

    Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set
    them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
    ... A Proctologist is a brain surgeon for IRS agents.
    ---
    * Origin: (1:3634/12.73)
  • From Shaun Wheeler@1:340/7 to Simon Geddes on Mon Aug 19 11:50:00 2019
    Simon Geddes wrote to All <=-

    I've been experimenting with some offline mail readers - namely Q-Blue
    2.4 and NesQWK. Both seem to work well, and Q-Blue has the added
    advantage of supporting BlueWave packets.


    I've been meaning to try Q-Blue, but hadn't heard of NesQWK. I'll have to give it a try as well. I've considered using Thor, but setup sounds a bit convoluted...



    ... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
    * Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)
  • From Simon Geddes to Shaun Wheeler on Sat Aug 31 20:37:00 2019
    At 11:50 AM on 19 Aug 19, Shaun Wheeler said to Simon Geddes:
    Simon Geddes wrote to All <=-

    I've been experimenting with some offline mail readers - namely Q-Blue
    2.4 and NesQWK. Both seem to work well, and Q-Blue has the added
    advantage of supporting BlueWave packets.

    I've been meaning to try Q-Blue, but hadn't heard of NesQWK. I'll have
    to give it a try as well. I've considered using Thor, but setup sounds
    a bit convoluted...

    Using Q-Blue at the moment. It seems like a very functional, pleasant piece of software to use. It also works very nicely on MorphOS, which is impressive considering it seems
    like fairly vintage software. NesQWK is a lot more modern, but because it runs on Workbench, it's a less "immersive" experience.

    ... "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died." -- Bombeck
    * Q-Blue 2.4 *
  • From Anssi Saari@3:770/3 to Simon Geddes on Mon Sep 2 16:09:29 2019
    nospam.Simon.Geddes@f1.n770.z492.fidonet.org (Simon Geddes) writes:

    Using Q-Blue at the moment. It seems like a very functional, pleasant piece
    of
    software to use. It also works very nicely on MorphOS, which is impressive considering it seems
    like fairly vintage software. NesQWK is a lot more modern, but because it
    runs
    on Workbench, it's a less "immersive" experience.

    Just curious but what's the reason for offline mail readers today? Back
    in the day I used offline readers to save on phone costs and I suppose
    it was more efficient for the BBS too with limited phone lines... But
    are these issues relevant today?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Simon Geddes to Anssi Saari on Tue Sep 3 21:15:00 2019
    At 4:09 PM on 2 Sep 19, Anssi Saari said to Simon Geddes:

    .

    Just curious but what's the reason for offline mail readers today? Back
    in the day I used offline readers to save on phone costs and I suppose
    it was more efficient for the BBS too with limited phone lines... But
    are these issues relevant today?

    I like being able to work on messages in my own time, without the sense of being connected - even though call costs are not really an issue there is still a feeling of being "hurried" which I don't have when working offline. I might like to use a spell checker in the future too, once I become more au fait with changing the editor in Q-Blue. Plus I use dial-up and am thinking about calling international boards because I've exhausted the meagre UK offerings that still offer dial-up connections. This will very much make call costs relevant again too! I could "just" telnet, but I like not having internet in the home. It makes it something of a sanctury.

    I wrote the previous paragraph last night, packed the message ready for uploading the next day. Then, pondering what I wrote after going up to bed, I realised I had been needlessly inflammatory with a few points. So another unappreciated benefit of using an offline reader is it gives a bit of buffer between writing and posting.

    Trump might find such an innovation handy for his Twitter account!

    * Q-Blue 2.4 *