|
This may be considered heresy here at CP but...
It seems like many (most? all?) developers have an obsession with keeping (forever?) every email that has ever passed through their inbox. As far as I'm concerned, 93.4% of emails I send or receive have a shelf-life of about a week... the remaining 6.6% can be evenly divided into those with a shelf-life less than a week and those with a shelf-life greater than a week. It's an extremely rare day that I need to search my archives for an old email.
I find it humorous that something we find so vitally important will become absolutely worthless the moment we retire (or die).
|
|
|
|
|
Yes, that is heresy.
I've had to find an old email on multiple occasions, if only to tell a customer "yes, I did remind you/mention it/whatever, see email at [date from months ago]."
It costs me nothing to keep my mails from years ago, yet if I ever get into a dispute with a customer and I don't have relevant proof of my right (which could just as well be an email) it could cost me a lot of money.
In fact, I nearly got into such a dispute.
A customer wouldn't pay because I didn't finish their software.
Luckily, I could show them a nice long email history with all the times I reminded or asked my customer about something and never did I get an answer.
Ultimately, they paid almost everything.
Imagine how a few emails saved me about 15K.
In other occasions I was just happy to find an old email because it explained something I forgot about.
fgs1963 wrote: I find it humorous that something we find so vitally important will become absolutely worthless the moment we retire (or die).
That's true for many things.
In fact, my parents already joke about all the "junk" they collect, like books, saying they'll keep it so I can throw it out once they're gone (which will hopefully be no sooner than about 30 years or so).
|
|
|
|
|
I archive the emails I am sure that I will need. The rest go about once a quarter. If I haven't needed them by then, I never will. this has not caused me any problem.
ed
|
|
|
|
|
How would you know which to keep?
I've more than once needed emails older than a few months.
I do keep them neatly organized, but as I said, it costs me nothing to keep them so why even bother deleting them?
|
|
|
|
|
The bigger the haystack, the harder it is to find the needle.
If it's an email I replied to, then I archive it. If it is a reply to one of my emails, I keep it.
If I did keep them all, I would add folders by topic and store them in the folder they belong to.
Oh, and I don't know how many emails you get, But I get on average 150 emails a day, most of them being junk. 
Let me know how it turns out.
The best right back to you.
Ed
|
|
|
|
|
Well, I don't keep everything.
Automated mails about build status updates or spam, I throw away.
But any remark or request from a client, no matter how small, I keep.
|
|
|
|
|
I agree that 99.9% of emails are going to be worthless after a month. But storage is cheap, my time is not. Keeping everything and being able to search it on need requires much less time than trying to manually sort out which messages are of long standing value and which can be deleted with no loss.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
|
|
|
|
|
Sander Rossel wrote: You'd think this could be easier in 2023
This is another one of those "path of least resistance" type of things. If it's hard to migrate, people just won't bother and keep using your service.
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, it might as well be!
Imagine having some standard that could be freely and easily exchanged between providers 
|
|
|
|
|
Sander, why are you using IMAP when your mail server is Exchange and you're using Outlook? Use the native Outlook/Exchange MAPI integration instead. It works far better than IMAP.
It does suck having to move all your emails manually though. My solution for this has been to create a PST of the old mailbox and then import that PST into the new mailbox. Relatively easy to do and not as time consuming as having to manually move everything between mailboxes.
|
|
|
|
|
obermd wrote: Sander, why are you using IMAP when your mail server is Exchange and you're using Outlook?
That was my entire point, I didn't have Exchange up until today 
Naturally I'm using Exchange now and syncing my calendar and contacts to my phone as well 
|
|
|
|
|
Rigging for bodies. (7)
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
Progeny ?
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Nope.
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
Corpses ?
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Not that either.
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
No, but I see where you're going.
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
We give up Peter !
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
|
|
|
|
|
A "double definition" clue. SHROUDS.
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
Can't see anything except you cover a dead body in a shroud - what's the rigging part ? ( is it maybe an Oz thing ? )
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Shrouds are the ropes that locate a ship's mast(s) laterally. on the old square riggers, had "rungs" for climbing.
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
We live and learn ! - thanks Peter 
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Shroud Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster[^]
from the 3rd definition Quote: 3
a
: one of the ropes leading usually in pairs from a ship's mastheads to give lateral support to the masts
b
: one of the cords that suspend the harness of a parachute from the canopy
I’ve given up trying to be calm. However, I am open to feeling slightly less agitated.
I’m begging you for the benefit of everyone, don’t be STUPID.
|
|
|
|
|
Wordle 627 5/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜🟨🟨🟩⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
