In response to my earlier comments, several have asked me privately about
mail filtering.  Hence the following explanation to the list, after a little
cursory research.

I find that filtering is NOT available to a lot of people on the Internet.
Depends on how you connect and what software you use.

If I have been correctly informed, AOL, CompuServe and other providers of
that ilk DON'T provide filtering in their mailer software.

I access the Internet in two ways.  One, through the university.  Very
special citizens, we are.  Two, at home I go through a local access provider
for $7.90 a month, flat fee, unlimited everything.  No additional charges
for nuthin' excpet a home page if I want to build and maintain one.
(Actually, they offer a starter home page free, but if you exceed the
starter, then a home page costs.)  

Eudora is one of the many mailers available for e-mail.  I use it both at
the university and at home.  Eudora comes in two versons, a limited freeware
version, and a full-blown commercial version.  I don't know what the
commercial version costs because our site license permits me to run a copy
at home, but I would GLADLY pay $100-$150 for it, which is more than I've
paid for any software yet.  It is that great!

Unfortunately, I'm told, the freeware version does NOT provide filtering or
several other important features.

The commercial version's filter system lets users design reasonably complex
filters that will organize your mail into mail boxes (thus allowing you to
prioritize reading), including sending mail unopened to the trash bin where
it gets dumped.  Eudora's filters allow users to focus on information in the
header, in the text, or both.  Using this you could set a filter to dump all
mail that mentions the string "Terence L. Day" into the trash, unopened,
whether string occurs in the header or in the text.  Or, you could set the
filter so all mail mentioning "Terence L. Day" in the header would be
dumpted, but not if the reference is in the text.  That way you wouldn't get
any mail from me, but could read all the vile things that others are saying
about me.

Some things obviously are easier to filter than other.  "Vigdor" is a piece
of cake.  How many Vigdor's are sending you e-mail?  You might have more
difficulty filtering Joe Smith or Bob Jones, but you probably can do that by
filtering their ID instead of their name.

Perhaps the greatest value in my bringing filtering to your attention is
bringing filtering to your attention.  There are so many mail systems out
there that each users is going to have to pursue filtering questions with
others who use the same mailers they do.

As for those who connect via AOL, CompuServe and any other providers who
want to enrich themselves at your expense, I strongly recommend you find a
local access provider who offers unlimited access at a reasonable fee (up to
maybe $20 a month) and watch the balance in your bank account grow!

Hope this is helpful.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Universities don't have opinions, which 
makes it fortunate that I have an ample supply.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Terence L. Day, 509/335-2806 (Office voice), 509/335-2863 (Office fax),
509/334-1619 (Home).  SE 635 Steptoe St., Pullman, WA 99163
Internet:   or 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


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End of online-news-digest V1 #464
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