A
Adam Lang
The only thing keeping a number of people in my company from using
IMAP instead of POP for their email access on Outlook is the way
Outlook handles deletion of email messages when using IMAP. (Keep
the message in place, put a line through it). MAPI isn't a possibility for
these people, for various reasons.
I set out to write a macro that would, when executed, take the currently
selected message or messages and move them to another folder in the
IMAP account, a folder called 'Trash'. This wasn't difficult, and works
fine for MAPI and POP accounts. However, when you do this on the
IMAP account, it makes a copy of the message in the target folder, but
then LEAVES the original in the original folder, WITH A LINE THROUGH
IT. Which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid.
This is using the 'Move' method, not some kind of odd create-delete
duo. And it's very clearly a bug, since you're certainly supposed to be
able to move messages around in the IMAP protocol. It is *almost*
stupid enough to feel intentional: they like the fact that nobody can
stand to use IMAP with Outlook, and so simple workarounds just
happen to fail.
Regardless, I'm still looking for a way to make this work. If I try to
'Delete' a message with a line through it, nothing happens. If I try the
'Move', nothing happens. There does not appear to be any 'Purge'
method in the parent folder object, so you can't just purge deleted
messages every time this happens. There isn't a purge or 'really delete'
or expunge or whatever method in the message's object.
Can anybody think of a workaround? Is there some way to tell Outlook
via a macro to select a certain menu item? (lPurge Deleted Messages')
Is there some way I'm not seeing to move an IMAP item without leaving
the residual message? Is there at least someplace I can REPORT this as
a bug?
Basically, MAPI doesn't work correctly in anything but the most
absolutely perfect conditions. POP doesn't leave a copy on the server,
thus ensuring that at least one person a month loses all of his or her
email to a system crash. IMAP is too irritating to be used, what with
our email at some addresses (after filtering) being more than 50%
SPAM. 'Alternative' (fake) outlook servers like Binari are hideous
monstrosities that cause an order of magnitude more problems than
they solve. And nobody is willing to use an email client other than
Outlook.
Makes me wonder why I didn't just STAY unemployed.
--Adam Lang
IMAP instead of POP for their email access on Outlook is the way
Outlook handles deletion of email messages when using IMAP. (Keep
the message in place, put a line through it). MAPI isn't a possibility for
these people, for various reasons.
I set out to write a macro that would, when executed, take the currently
selected message or messages and move them to another folder in the
IMAP account, a folder called 'Trash'. This wasn't difficult, and works
fine for MAPI and POP accounts. However, when you do this on the
IMAP account, it makes a copy of the message in the target folder, but
then LEAVES the original in the original folder, WITH A LINE THROUGH
IT. Which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid.
This is using the 'Move' method, not some kind of odd create-delete
duo. And it's very clearly a bug, since you're certainly supposed to be
able to move messages around in the IMAP protocol. It is *almost*
stupid enough to feel intentional: they like the fact that nobody can
stand to use IMAP with Outlook, and so simple workarounds just
happen to fail.
Regardless, I'm still looking for a way to make this work. If I try to
'Delete' a message with a line through it, nothing happens. If I try the
'Move', nothing happens. There does not appear to be any 'Purge'
method in the parent folder object, so you can't just purge deleted
messages every time this happens. There isn't a purge or 'really delete'
or expunge or whatever method in the message's object.
Can anybody think of a workaround? Is there some way to tell Outlook
via a macro to select a certain menu item? (lPurge Deleted Messages')
Is there some way I'm not seeing to move an IMAP item without leaving
the residual message? Is there at least someplace I can REPORT this as
a bug?
Basically, MAPI doesn't work correctly in anything but the most
absolutely perfect conditions. POP doesn't leave a copy on the server,
thus ensuring that at least one person a month loses all of his or her
email to a system crash. IMAP is too irritating to be used, what with
our email at some addresses (after filtering) being more than 50%
SPAM. 'Alternative' (fake) outlook servers like Binari are hideous
monstrosities that cause an order of magnitude more problems than
they solve. And nobody is willing to use an email client other than
Outlook.
Makes me wonder why I didn't just STAY unemployed.
--Adam Lang