BG> Christ Rod, what started as a 100 line message
BG> has since progressed into a three message tome,

I cant help it if you are one of those who still read with your
lips moving Bill, thats entirely your problem, try harder boy |-)

BG> which I have put back together again. Pity about brain dead OLX
BG> not allowing you to set message limits by individual echos.  |-)

I wouldnt have used that feature here anyway even if it did.

BG> It doesn't hurt to have the choice,

RS> The problem with the traditional external stuff in
RS> the app itself is that it inevitably incurs the
RS> time to actually do it. Medieval and dinosaury.

BG> Time to do what though?  Code it?

No, the use of that feature.

BG> Otherwise, it can only save time by having
BG> specific commands preset with single-key macros.

I meant that a decent task switch is a MUCH better way to do that
stuff than that enhanced macro. Coz any external, no matter how
enhanced, has that inevitable deficiency. And others too, like you cant
easily refer back to the message you were reading when you invoked the
external function either. With a decent task switch you dont have any
of those problems. QED, the external is fucked, medieval and dinosaury.

BG> You've had a massive brain fart here, if you'll excuse the plagiarism.

Nope, you've fucked up.

BG> and in the DOS version, it would be a real advantage IMO.

RS> I still cant see that either. Its only useful if you arent
RS> running any multitasker at all, just a single tasking system.

BG> Nope, it's useful under all circumstances,
BG> even under a reasonably decent MTer like OS/2.

Crap, under any MT, the task switch is the way to do that.

BG> You might not care to use such a feature, but that
BG> doesn't mean that others may not feel differently.

Sure, some fuckwits may well have an excess of dog shit between
the ears and not be able to use the MT properly. Their problem tho.

BG> Fuck me dead, what harm does it do to have it there anyway?

It has to be coded, that effort is better used on more productive
additions. No point if farting around for the braindead.

RS> There must be damned few people doing that today, even if
RS> they are using the DOS version. A few dorks on XTs at most.

BG> Well I would if I could, so does that make me a dork?

Yes.

RS> You should just have List already open in another multitasker window,
RS> and have some decent window switch mech in the multitasker itself,
RS> like the Desqview Alt-n approach, even with something like OS2.

BG> Alt-Esc toggles between sessions under OS/2,
BG> or Ctl-Esc brings up the window list,

RS> No news to me Bill.

BG> So why make reference to DV's Alt-n function then?

You moaned about the number of keystrokes or mouse ops required to do
the task switch when you are using the app in full screen mode on OS2.
If you want a convenient keyboard op to get that op, the answer is to
use a better, more keyboard efficient, task switch op in OS2. You can
have that particularly one which is rather keystroke efficient if you want.

*SO* you *NOW* have the op just as keyboard efficient as what you
wanted, *BUT* it now invokes a proper OS level task switch instead
of a pathetic dinosaury external. You get a MUCH faster action, you can
toggle back and forward at will as required. MUCH better than a fucked
external, even if enhanced the way you proposed. Same keystrokes to
invoke, MUCH better functionality too, no coding required in the app
either. QED, THATs the way to go. Not farting around with that external.

BG> I do already have Qedit/2 and List/2 running so it's no big deal here,

RS> So no need for a better external capability.

BG> but I still maintain that it wouldn't be a useless addition at all.

RS> Well, it really comes down to how many people are reading their
RS> mail on a single tasker. IMO there arent enough to worry about
RS> too much, and they should be taken out the back and shot anyway.

BG> Pity there isn't just one true path to salvation though.

Pathetic faking Bill. YOU were the one telling Paul that XTs were long
past their use by date for even a teenage school kid. No use trying to
pull this silly reversal of your position now Bill. Wont wash, its too
soon after you argued the exact OPPOSITE case yourself, quite succinctly.

BG> Jeeze Rod, after nearly 3 years with OS/2, at least give
BG> me a bit of credit for knowing how to use it productively!

RS> No thanks, you are faking away your medieval way of using it,

BG> Faking?  Surely you jest.  I'm not apologising for the way I use OS/2.

OK, admit to not using an MT properly, see if I care |-)

RS> if you really did use it properly, you
RS> wouldnt want the enhanced external stuff.

BG> So is pressing Alt-Esc 5 times to toggle to the window that I need,

Nope, you add a decent keyboard oriented task switcher to that OS.
Dead easy, even you should be able to manage it. MUCH more viable
than rewriting the app. Which you cant do anyway.

BG> then a few more keystrokes to invoke the function
BG> I want to perform, any easier or more productive
BG> that pressing say F12 in Msged to do the same thing?

Nope, I was saying that with a decent keyboard task switcher added to
your OS, you can say just press Alt-4 and thats all there is too it.
Total keystrokes required to get to that already open task. You get
a MUCH faster task switch, you can refer back to the message just as
easily any time you want to. THATs the way to do it, not fart around
with brain dead externals, even if enhanced.

BG> And it ain't all that much easier running Msged windowed and changing
BG> windows with the mouse either.  Maybe you're just missing the point.

Nope, I understood all along that that was what you didnt like.
I was suggesting that a decent keyboard oriented task switch added
to the OS is a FAR better way of dealing with that deficiency. MUCH
better than revamping the app to enhance its external capability.

BG> I know all that, and I agree that it's a far better method
BG> over all, but that still doesn't mean that my suggestion is
BG> useless, especially for the DOS version.  Some people still

(Continued to next message)

--- PQWK202