GNKSA Evaluation Form 2.05 Product Name : Outlook Express Product Version : 5.0 (1513) Tested on platform : MacOS 8.6 Available for platforms: MacOS Evaluation date : 10/24/199 Evaluated by : J. B. Moreno Conclusion ========== Outlook Express 5.0 fails to satisfy some basic GNKSA requirement(s), hence does NOT qualify for the Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval. Summary ======= Pass Fail Total Pass/Fail% MUSTs 27 12 39 69%/31% SHOULDs 16 11 27 59%/41% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 69%M %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 59%S [GNKSA Score-O-Meter] Details ======= Regarding the strict GNKSA requirements (MUSTs), Outlook Express 5.0 FAILS on the following points: 2a Does not provide a clear, separate command for posting a new article 4c Does not allow setting Followup-To: poster 7a Does not include MsgID of original article as the last reference 7b Fails to include the last three references from the original 8a Neglects the Reply-To directions 11a Does not require a non-empty, user-specified subject 11b Will not refuse to post articles without subject 11c Uses some default subject when the user did not set one 12a May not provide a syntactically correct From-address 12b Fails to refuse to post messages with syntactically incorrect From: 16c Does not warn when posting quoted text only 17 Can encrypt or encode messages into oblivion by default Outlook Express 5.0 violates `soft' GNKSA requirements (SHOULDs) in the following way: 2d Fails to use standard terminology 3c Fails to encourage setting a Followup-To on large crossposts 7e Fails to omit `broken' Message-IDs. 9b Does not support posting instead after replying 9d Mail message not preceded by notification when posted and mailed 12c Can use a bogus e-mail address 13a Does not let users cancel their own articles 13b Does not enable users to supersede their own articles 14c Refuses to post articles containing long lines 15b Does not warn on, or refuse, excessive signatures 16d Does not refuse to post quoted text only Outlook Express 5.0 offers the following nice net-keeping features unmentioned by the GNKSA: Handles multiple servers very well, and adds support for several new standards (the Posted-and-Mailed header and In-Reply-To for mail). Additional Comments: In a welcome improvement over previous version, this version defaults to use internet style quotes and replies. And unlike in the previous version there is no need for a non-english version evaluation to show the problem with Subject, that has been fixed. Unfortunately, several bugs in this version cause it to fail requirements it had previous passed, I feel sure these will be fixed soon, but for the moment they fail. 2a - Ctrl-N (ambiguously) starts a "new message"; what message it is is governed by accidental context. 2e - Uses "Reply to Sender" & "Reply to Newsgroup". 3b - Warns when posting to more than 10 newsgroups. 3c - Followup-To is not mentioned (see 4c). 4c - Followup-To could be set by including it in the extra headers, but not on a individual basis. 6a - Informs user,and asks what to do, the default is to send by mail 7a - Leaves off the separating space when References already exist, this causes both the final id and the previous one to be incorrect. 7b - Because of the above mistake the former last id is damaged. 7c - Restricts References. 7e - Doesn't remove broken Messages-ID's, and in fact by leaving out the space can be considered to create them. 8a - Does not use Reply-To when replying to a news post. 9a - If you delete the newsgroups, fill in the Cc and try to post it will be mailed and not posted. Probably best described as a bug, but Passed. 9b - Can't switch. 9d - Includes notification in the header, but not in the body. This is a good start, but not enough for the moment (the header won't be shown by most mail readers, OE itself doesn't show it). 11abc - Warns about empty Subject, and then creates a fake Subject to avoid server restrictions. 12abc - Easily set fake address, and one with a invalid syntax. 13ab - No cancel or supersede. 14a - In plain-text mode (the default) it soft wraps in the window at the same point as it will be hard wrapped upon sending. Excellent! 14b - Not Applicable. Prevents long lines. 14c - Prevents long lines. 14d - Has a obvious and very useful Rewrap button. 15a - Yep. Yay! 15b - Doesn't warn, doesn't refuse. 16b - Refuses to post empty bodies. Great 16cd - Doesn't warn, doesn't refuse. 17 - Can encode into HTML without warning, but default is plain text. A copy of this review has been sent to the developers. Checklist ========= (M)UST / (S)HOULD 1) Displays all essential header information Software clearly displays: [Y] a) Article's author (From) M [Y] b) Article's Subject M [Y] c) List of groups posted to (Newsgroups) M [Y] d) Where (and how) to direct followups (Followup-To) M [Y] e) Where to reply to if not the From-address (Reply-To) M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 2) Provides clear, separate commands for new posting, followup, and e-mail reply [N] a) for posting a new article M [Y] b) for posting a followup article M [Y] c) for replying by e-mail M [N] d) Uses standard terminology S [Y] e) Avoids ambiguous terminology S [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 3) Provides cross-posting functionality [Y] a) Allows specifying multiple groups M [Y] b) Warns about, or prevents, posting to large numbers of groups S [N] c) Strongly encourages setting Followup-To: on large crossposts S (`Y' if large crosspostings are disallowed) [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 4) Allows users to change essential headers [Y] a) Allows editing Subject at all times during composition M [Y] b) Allows specifying new Subject of at least 70 characters M [N] c) Allows setting "Followup-To: poster" M [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 5) Ensures followups and e-mail replies contain a correct Subject [Y] a) Prepends "Re: " if (and only if) not already present M [Y] b) Preserves entire original Subject (modulo minor repairs) M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 6) Directs followups to the correct newsgroups [Y] a) Initiates e-mail reply rather than a followup posting on "Followup-To: poster", clearly informing the user M [Y] b) Posts to groups in Followup-To if present M [Y] c) Posts to groups in Newsgroups otherwise M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 7) Make sure followups contain valid References [N] a) Creates References header with Message-ID of original article as the last element M [N] b) Includes last three References from original M [Y] c) Ensures References will fit in 998 characters M [Y] d) Keep as many References from original as fit S [N] e) Does not propagate broken Message-IDs in original References S [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 8) Direct e-mail replies to the correct address [N] a) Uses Reply-To if present M [Y] b) Uses From address otherwise M [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 9) Allow the user to change her mind about whether to post or mail (or do both) and behave if doing both [Y] a) Allows users to change their mind and mail rather than post after having initiated a followup message S [N] b) Allows users to change their mind and post rather than mail after having initiated a reply message S [Y] c) Does not offer both posting and mailing as default behaviour M [N] d) Inserts a notification that the message was posted as well as mailed in the e-mail copy when both posting and mailing a followup article S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 10) Provide adequate quotation and attribution facilities [Y] a) Allows including quoted original M [Y] b) Clearly distinguishes quoted material M [Y] c) Prefixes quoted material with `>'/`> ' S [Y] d) Omits correctly delimited signatures from quoted material S [Y] e) Provides a means of indicating which part(s) to followup to S [Y] f) Attribution line containing original author precedes quotes M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 11) Provide a user-specified "Subject: " header [N] a) Requires non-empty, user-specified Subject for new articles M [N] b) Refuses posting articles without, or with an empty, Subject M [N] c) Does not provide default Subject if user did not set one M [Y] d) Allows changing the Subject at any time while editing M [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 12) Provide a valid "From: " header [N] a) Sets "From: " header to syntactically valid e-mail address M [N] b) Refuses posting articles without a syntactically valid "From: " header M [N] c) Uses correct e-mail addresses (valid and belonging to the user) only, as far as it can possibly know S [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 13) Allow users to both cancel and supersede their own articles (and _no_ others!) [N] a) Allows cancelling articles S [N] b) Allows superseding articles S [Y] c) As far as possible, does not allow cancelling or superseding other peoples' articles M [Y] d) Uses standard terminology S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 14) Try to respect the 80-character line-length convention [Y] a) Articles are posted as edited, with linebreaking intact S [Y] b) Warns about lines over 80 characters S [N] c) Does not refuse to post articles containing long lines S [Y] d) Allows rewrapping quoted text S [Y] e) Enforces formatting requirements on article after external editing (`Y' if there is no support for external editors) S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 15) Separate signatures correctly, and don't use excessive ones [Y] a) Uses (and enforces) standard signature delimiter S [N] b) Warns against or refuses to use excessive signatures S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 16) Try to prevent obvious user errors [Y] a) Warns when attempting to post empty articles M [Y] b) Refuses posting empty articles S [N] c) Warns when post articles containing quoted material only M [N] d) Refuses posting quoted-text-only articles S [Y] e) Warns against posting multiple copies (`Y' if impossible) M [Y] f) Prevents multiple posting entirely S [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 17) Post human-readable articles unless ordered otherwise [N] Does not (and can not) encode or encrypt articles unless on explicit user demand M [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 18) Provide self-protection [Y] Allows filtering out annoying articles (killing) S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 19) Be kind to servers, leave room for others [Y] a) Does not unnecessarily open multiple connections M [Y] b) Does not generate excessive server load otherwise M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M