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Date:      Wed, 20 Dec 2017 22:07:42 -0700
From:      Adam Weinberger <adamw@adamw.org>
To:        Matthias Andree <matthias.andree@gmx.de>
Cc:        Eugene Grosbein <eugen@grosbein.net>, Ted Hatfield <ted@io-tx.com>, freebsd-ports@freebsd.org, Sunpoet Po-Chuan Hsieh <sunpoet@FreeBSD.org>
Subject:   Re: Procmail got updated!
Message-ID:  <B51F1354-44C9-4936-A78B-84F34A4516B5@adamw.org>
In-Reply-To: <05504d3c-3225-e83f-8f10-225319421a35@gmx.de>
References:  <alpine.BSF.2.21.1712181012470.92288@aneurin.horsfall.org> <a3a1097d-22c7-89cc-dd69-b4ceeebf7228@gmx.de> <alpine.BSF.2.20.1712181824220.10261@io-tx.com> <f68594db-396b-0821-e90d-3f089781e8fd@gmx.de> <5A39F7C9.1030800@grosbein.net> <05504d3c-3225-e83f-8f10-225319421a35@gmx.de>

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> On 20 Dec, 2017, at 17:19, Matthias Andree <matthias.andree@gmx.de> wrote:
>
> Am 20.12.2017 um 06:40 schrieb Eugene Grosbein:
>> On 20.12.2017 01:03, Matthias Andree wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Ted, Eugene,
>> [skip]
>>
>> What happened with old good "Tools, not policy" thing?
>
> It's simpler than that, no policy involved.
>
> The tool had a hollow head, and broke after several years of banging it,
> and the former tool maker told the public it's out of warranty (never
> was in due to it being free) and not being fixed any more, and should be
> scrapped.

I'm a little unsettled by this discussion, because it is moving into  
territory with which we have very little precedent. And the precedent that  
it would establish is not wholly within our mandate.

FreeBSD ports provides the best available versions of software to run on  
FreeBSD---we have traditionally been very conservative in deprecating  
software. The mere fact that there are better alternatives is not  
sufficient reason to take it away from people. When it ceases to work, or  
is intolerably dangerous, then it is incumbent upon us to act. You know  
far, far more about the intricacies of email than I do, Matthias, so please  
correct me if I am incorrect here, but I'm not aware of procmail being  
unsuitably dangerous for admins who make a conscious decision to use it.

I'm not a fan of the message it would send: taking the port away from our  
users tells them that we don't trust their ability to decide what to do  
with their systems. I would far prefer that we educate our users about the  
alternatives, and provide a suitable warning for procmail, not censor it  
entirely.

We can plaster the port with warnings and recommendations for people to  
switch, or set DEPRECATED without an EXPIRATION_DATE, but taking it away  
from people establishes a precedent that I wouldn't feel great about.  
Procmail was the standard for an incredibly long time, and there are  
undoubtedly many shops that rely upon it.

# Adam


--
Adam Weinberger
adamw@adamw.org
http://www.adamw.org




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