[rescue] (Offtopic) X-Message-Flag fun for Outlook users

[der Mouse]

> Look, I don't want to make a big deal out of this (too late?)

I suspect so. :-/

> but really, step back for a minute - what numerous people are
> defending, nay, encouraging is the exploitation of a
> platform-specific feature in the software to annoy users into
> changing their platform... Isn't that what many of the folks that
> write "viruses" claim is thier motivation?

Possibly; I am not really in touch with what virus authors claim as
motivation.

But in any case, I see nothing wrong with that motivation, no matter
who may claim it.  Where I have problem with virus authors is not their
claimed motivations, but rather the methods they choose.

A bit like someone who drives a car into a crowd of people in an
attempt to stop a pickpocket.  Good desire, bad implementation - but
the fault in the implementation does not mean the motivation is bad.

> Would you make comments about peoples choice in clothes as you pass
> them onthe street?

I've been known to do it, though I usually address the people wearing
the clothes directly only when the comments are positive.

But there are two big differences, that IMO invalidate the analogy as
given above.

First, I don't nag everyone who's using Outlook, only those who get
mail from me for other reasons.  A better analogy would be commenting
on people's clothes when (and only when) you are already speaking to
them for other reasons.

Second, if 95-99% of the people on the street were wearing the same
utterly hideous outfits, I might well start making such add-on comments
whenever I had occasion to talk to them about other things.

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