> Doug Ewell wrote:
>>
>> Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>> > What's an "email client"?

>> Geez, folks. No matter how you feel about Peter, it would have been
>> much less work just to answer the question.

Less fun, I fear. I'm a little surprised there's been no moderator
intervention. Perhaps they're on holiday.

>> An e-mail client is the program you use to send, receive, manage, and
>> (usually) compose e-mail messages.
>>
>> It is distinct from the "servers" which do the heavy work of passing
>> messages along the network.

> Why isn't it my email program or my email application?

> What's the metaphor by which an email program becomes a "client"?

I don't think there is a precise reference, but the general reference is to
up-market shopping or personal services. (Solicitors have clients.) To me
there's always been a hint of 'waiter', as in a file server providing
computer files on demand, but customers do get served at shops. When two
computers are interacting, its common to call one the 'client' and the other
the 'server'. It's a minor extension to extend the terms to programs or
processes. The general idea is that the client requests services from the
server.

Sometimes it isn't clear which end is providing services (e.g. when a
printer system requests the user to reload its paper supply), and the terms
can get confused.

Such squalid matters as money are usually dealt with separately, but records
may be kept on which to base the bills.

'Email program' is too imprecise for some - it could refer to either the
client program (which is serving the human client) or the server programs
trying to dispatch, receive and screen e-mails.

Richard.