--- a/preface.roff	Mon May 07 17:27:57 2012 +0200
+++ b/preface.roff	Tue May 08 17:23:02 2012 +0200
@@ -1,81 +1,126 @@
 .H0 "Preface" no
 
+.P
+MH is a set of mail handling tools with a common concept, like
+the Unix toolchest is a set of file handling tools with a common
+concept. nmh is the currently most popular implementation of an
+MH-like mail handling system.
+
+
 .H1 "How the Fun Began" no
 .P
-I have discovered nmh in XXX. I used to use mutt, like many
-command line-attracted Unix users. Nmh had convinced me conceptually
-at once. Unfortunately, setting it up to a convenient state became a
-tendious task. Learning its different model of email handling had,
-in contrast, been relatively easy. Learning to use MH if you are used
-to monolithic mail clients is like learning vi if you are used to
-modeless editors.
-Once having nmh set up, using it was joy because of its conceptional
-elegance and scripting capabilities, but on the other hand it was
+I have discovered nmh in September 2009. At that time I used to use mutt,
+like many command line-attracted Unix users do.
+Conceptually nmh had convinced me at once and learning
+its different model of email handling had been relatively easy.
+The change was like
+managing files in the Unix shell when you are used to graphical file
+managers, or like learning vi when you are used to modeless editors.
+The change was not trivial but as I was convinced by the concepts and
+already managed my files with shell tools and edited with vi, not to
+difficult either.
+In contrast, setting nmh up to a convenient state became a tendious task
+that took several months.
+.P
+Once having nmh arranged as wished, using it was joy because of its
+conceptional elegance and scripting capabilities.
+On the other hand, however, it still was
 inconvenient in handling attachments, non-ASCII character encodings,
-and similar stuff. I found it wrong to require more and more scripts
-and configuration to have it act the expected way. In being a
-software developer, I wanted to improve the situation.
+and similar features of modern emailing.
+My setup required more and more scripts and additional configuration
+to have nmh act the way I expected it to behave, where my
+expectations were rather common to modern emailing than exceptionel.
+In being a software developer, I wanted to improve the situation.
 .P
 In Spring 2010, I asked on the nmh-workers mailing list for the
-possibility to have a Google Summer of Code project on nmh. Being a
-student, this appeared attractive to me. Eventually, it had not been
-possible, but the nmh community started to move. In these months
-nmh's future was discussed and I became part of a ``Does nmh need an
-MTA'' discussion. There, my opinion differed from the opinion of
-most others.
+possibility to offer a Google Summer of Code project on nmh.
+Participating in the development this way appeared attractive to me,
+especially as it would have been possible to have the project
+accepted at university. Although the nmh community
+generally had been positive on the
+suggestion, eventually it had not been possible to manage the
+administrative work. Though my proposal had started the nmh community
+to move. In the following weeks, goals for nmh's future were discussed
+on the list. During the discussions, I became involved in the
+question whether nmh should be an MTA. (Thread subject:
+``should nmh be an MTA or an MUA?''.)
+In this point, my opinion differed from the opinion of most others
+as I voted for the MTA facility of nmh to be removed.
 .P
-As it hadn't been possible to work on nmh in a way that would be
+Being not able to work on nmh in a way that would be
 accepted as part of my official studies, I needed to get my credit
-points in some other way. But half a year later I was back. Starting
-in Summer 2010, I took one semester off to travel through Latin America.
-Within this time, I needed to do practical computer work for three
-months. Richard Sandelman, an active nmh user, made it possible for
-me to work on nmh during this time. Juan Granda, from Santiago del
-Estero in Argentina, provided a computer and Internet connection.
-Within these three month, I became familiar with nmh's code base and
-its community. I learned how things work. Quickly it was obvious that
-I wouldn't succeed to improve on the non-ASCII character encoding
-problems, as this is one of the most intricate parts of the system.
-Instead I improved code as I read through it. I found minor bugs in
-the code and could improve the documentation. When I started with
+points with some other project.
+Half a year later, starting in August 2010,
+I took one semester off to travel through Latin America.
+Within this time, I had to do practical computer work for three
+months.
+This brought me back to nmh.
+Richard Sandelman, an active nmh user, made it possible for
+me to work on nmh. Juan Granda, living in Santiago del
+Estero in Argentina, provided a computer and Internet connection for
+my work.
+Within the three month, I became familiar with nmh's code base and
+its community. I learned how things work. Quickly it became obvious that
+I wouldn't succeed with my main goal, to improve the character
+encoding handling within the project. One obvious problem is the missing
+transfer decoding of the quoted text in replies.
+As this is one of the most intricate parts of the system, the goal
+was simply too difficult to reach.
+Instead I improved the code as I read through it. I found minor bugs
+for which I proposed fixes to the community. Also I
+could improve the documentation. When I started with
 larger code changes, I had to discover that the community's wish for
 compatibility was stronger than its wish for convenient
-out-of-the-box setups. This lead to long discussions, again. Finally,
-I understand their point of view, but it's not mine.
-At the end of my three-month project, I had became familiar with
-nmh's code base and community, I had improved both a bit, and I still
-was convinced that I wanted to go on with it.
+out-of-the-box setups \(en in contrast with my opinion.
+This lead to long discussions, again.
+I came to understand their point of view, but it simply is not mine.
 .P
-Another half a year later, I needed a topic for my master's thesis.
-Now it was clear: I wanted to work on nmh. No, not exactly nmh,
+At the end of my three-month project, I had become familiar with
+nmh's code base and its community. I had improved the project a bit
+and I still was convinced that I wanted to go on with that.
+.P
+Another half a year later, the end of my studies came within reach.
+I needed a topic for my master's thesis.
+There was no question: I wanted to work on nmh.
+But well, not exactly on nmh,
 because I had accepted that the nmh community has different goals
-than I have. The won't be much progress if generally different opinions
-lead to long discussions. After careful thought, I had decided to
-start an experimental version of nmh. I wanted to go my way and see
-where it would lead to. Time would tell if it would prove successful.
-Nmh would hardly be hurt by my work, but could profit from my
-experiences later.
+than I have. This would result in long discussions and thus few progress.
+After careful thought, I decided to start an experimental version of nmh.
+I wanted to follow my own ideas of how nmh should look like. I wanted
+to see where that would lead to. I wanted to compare the result of my
+work to the present state of nmh. Time should prove me successful or
+not.
+Nmh would hardly be hurt by my work as I would not interfere with
+them. But nmh could profit from my experiences.
 .P
-When I started to work on mmh, my experimental version, in Fall 2011,
-activity in nmh rose suddenly. While I was working on mmh, XXX were
-working on nmh. After long years of idleing, nmh was actively
-developed again. That was a good sign. My own work went in parallel
-and unrelated. Today, my experimental version became de facto a fork.
-The mail storage, however, is still compatible.
+I started to work on my experimental version, which I call
+\fImmh\fP (for \fImeillo's mail handler\fP), in Fall 2011.
+In December, when I announced that I would work on an experimental
+version, the activity in nmh suddenly rose. Suddently the community
+started to move.
+After long years of mostly idling, nmh became actively developed again.
+What a great result!
+Hence, while I was working on mmh, the community was working on nmh
+too. My own work went in parallel and mostly unrelated.
+.P
+Because of several circumstances, my experimental version is rather
+a fork today, although this may change again in the future.
 
 
-.H1 "Naming Conventions" no
+.H1 "Organization" no
 .P
-There are three different versions of MH available currently: original MH,
-nmh, and mmh. Following is a description how the terms are used.
-.P
-.B MH
-(Mail Handler).
-Used for any MH-like mail systems, namely the original MH, nmh, and mmh.
+foo
+
+.H1 "Conventions" no
 .P
 .B "Mail client" .
 Synonym for MUA. The part of the mail software the user directly
 interacts with.
+.P
+
+.H1 "Acknowledgments" no
+.P
+foo
 
 
 .\" End or Preface. Start of the normal text.