Re: [PATCH 1/2] Add separate "Append to file" button

| >  If 'Save to file' has been appending to files for more than a
| > decade, I really think that it shouldn't be changed on people. If
| > people really want this change in the main source, I would suggest
| > two modifications here:
|
| Yes, changing long-standing behavious is always a critical thing
| to do.  But I really wonder how many users are actually aware of
| this behaviour and using it?  The current behaviour is pretty much
| counter-intuitive, and I tend to consider it a bug that should be
| fixed. [...]

 When something has been the way it currently is for more than a decade,
it can no longer be described as 'counter-intuitive' for its current
users (only potentially for new users) or a bug, regardless of what one
feels about the wording it uses. In fact, a change is counter-intuitive
for all current users. Since this is a destructive change that can lose
data, it is especially dangerous for current users.

 Were exmh my program I would reject this change on the grounds that
it is about a decade too late to make it safely. Since exmh is not my
program, all I can do is advocate for things that I think will make the
change do as little damage as possible for existing users.

(Such a change might be justifiable if one expected a lot of new users;
then the number of people damaged by the change could in the end be
a lot less than the number of people surprised by not making the
change. But this seems rather unlikely for exmh at this point in its
life.)

	- cks