[imp] Re: IMP 3.1 & Return Receipt or Delivery Notification

[Eric Rostetter]

Quoting Minh Thi Trinh <minh.thi.trinh@UMontreal.CA>:
 
> Hi,
> FAQ 2.18 of IMP mentions the following:
> 
> "2.18 How can I request a return receipt or delivery notification?
> [IMP 2.2] IMP 2.2 (and much of the Internet) supports neither return receipts
> nor delivery notification.

This is correct, there is no support at all in IMP 2.x versions.

> [IMP 3.x] Whether or not you will get a confirmation back depends on many
> factors outside of IMP's control, but you can request a return receipt by
> clicking the "Request a Return Receipt" checkbox in the message composition
> screen."

This is correct as far as it goes, which may not be far enough.  This entry
does not answer the question of if IMP will respond to such requests, only 
that it will generate them.

Anyone want to give a good answer as to how IMP 3.x responds to received
mail with read/delivery notifications for the FAQ?

> My question is:
> 
> If IMP 3.1 users do not have other email that IMP,

It is not if they have no other email, but if they send to other email
systems.  Most people do send to outside addresses.

> then why can they not have
> the return of Receipt of delivery notification?


I think that delivery notification is handled by the mail server (MTA) and
not the mail client (MUA) so it would depend on the MTA used, not on 
whether IMP was in use as the MUA.

Now, for a read receipt, that can be handled by the MUA, so IMP could 
generate one.  I'm not sure, but I think IMP does generate read receipts --
can anyone confirm this?

> What factors would determine
> this notification WITHIN IMP users? 

See above.

> If it does not work within IMP, then it
> does not justify its existence.

I disagree.  And I *think* read receipts to function in IMP.  But I also 
think delivery receipts are never handled the MUA, and hence your argument
would be we shouldn't have them -- this is false because they could still
work at an IMP installation due to the MTA used with IMP.

> Thank you for your kind attention!

I'll take what ever feedback I get from this (posted to the IMP mailing
list) and augment the FAQ answer with it.
 
____________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Ms. Minh Thi Trinh                                
> minh.thi.trinh@umontreal.ca

-- 
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

Why get even? Get odd!