Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> i18n@... wrote:
> >
> > Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> >
> > > Doug Ewell wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Peter T. Daniels <grammatim at worldnet dot att dot net> 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.
> > > >
> > > > 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?
> >
> > Do you mean is your email program or email application the same as your
> > email client? If so, the answer is they are synonyms for the same
> > thing.The email serve is the place where your inbound email resides
> > until (and sometimes after) you download it to your client. The serve is
> > also responsible for sending mail to other servers, receiving mail from
> > other servers, and for handling requests from clients to download or
> > otherwise view mail.
> >
> > >
> > > What's the metaphor by which an email program becomes a "client"?
> >
> > The same metaphor by which your browser is a client to web servers you
> > care to access. And if you use an FTP program, it is a client in the
> > same way to an ftp server. A large part of the internet (some might
> > argue the whole thing) is based on a client-server architecture. Perhaps
> > in the 80s you heard of "client-server architecture" being bandied about
> > in computer circles? Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn't matter. Type any
> > of these terms or questions into a search engine and you will find the
> > answers waiting for you, and surely someone will have written it up in
> > precisely the level of detail you require.
> >
> > Are you taking an interest in computers now? I think it would be great
> > if you did. But this list might not be the best place to get these types
> > of elementary lessons, so please don't be put off if the ongoing and
> > repeated advice is to review someplace else where the purpose of the
> > destination is to answer elementary computer and vocabulary questions.
> > That would be very good advice indeed!
>
> No, I'm no asking any questions about computers; I'm asking questions
> about language.

Well in the sense that vocabulary questions ("What is an email client")
are about language, OK.

But the answer remains the same - look in a search engine. Or at least
frame your question in a more relevant context.

>
> As for the 80s, what I heard about computers was what Miguel Civil told
> us about when he rolled his TRS kit-computer and the Selectric it was
> hooked up to into the Assyrian Dictionary office to show us how he was
> trying to create a Sumerian database. In 1984 I got a Kaypro 4/84 --
> just weeks before Apple announced their Universities program, through
> which many Chicago people got their first Macs. But I went to DOS for my
> first upgrade.
>
> In the 70s I had one quarter of COMIT II with Vic Yngve, and wrote some
> programs that actually became part of linguistic research -- I. J.
> Gelb's *Compute-Aided Analysis of Amorite*, and Eric Hamp's
> investigation of Breton dialects.
>
> In the early 90s, when if WWS was going to get published, I'd have to do
> it myself, I switched to Mac, because DOS/Windows in those days could
> not deal with fonts or graphics.

Well, if that is your entire experience with computers, it is not
unheard of, but it sure is sad when it comes up.

Still, not everyone is familiar with the term "client-server" regardless
of experience. If you are interested in the history of the term, (a fair
question). there are better sources then here to find that answer.

I really do suggest becoming familiar with a search engine as a research
tool - you will find that for some classes of questions, it is
absolutely the way to go. Everyone learns what those classes are
according to his or her own needs (and evolving material available to be
indexed) so I can't quantify my recommendation more (although I would
like to). Go ahead and give it a try - www.google.com is a great place
to start. It should work with any browser you can throw at it AFAIK.

Best,

Barry