All the e-mail software that I have ever used has allowed the option of
displaying the messages as a list, and then choosing what to download and
what to delete. Downloading all the messages is only one option, as is
deleting batches of messages or individual messages without downloading.
But software programmers are in such another world that the options can be
so buried in menus and so obtusely labeled as to be nonexistent for
practical purposes for the average English language speaking person. I
never ceased to be amazed with software, and they way that simple functions
can be so well hidden. I personally opt for simple e-mail software, not
these humongous all-purpose programs that try to do to much for you.
In any event, with a 9,600 baud modem, these once a month newsletters
rarely take more than 10 seconds or so to download. Hardly a major expense
for me, though I am sure it could be otherwise for someone on a tight
budget with a slow modem and a very expensive e-mail service provider.
As to the Web, it would take longer to find and download these newsletters
from the Web than to receive them in Sanet-mg e-mail. I imagine that the
collective cost to Sanet-mg members would be much higher if we all had to
surf the Web to retrieve newsletters. Certainly, on a per person basis, I
would spend more than the 10 seconds of my current Sanet-mg newsletter
download time in getting to and retrieving the newsletter from the Web
site. Personally, I would not do it. Expense is the least of my reasons.
Life is just too short for that hassle on a routine basis.
If good stuff like the newsletters stopped coming, there would certainly be
less incentive to stay subscribed to this listserv.
Joel Grossman
Santa Monica, CA