[Linux4christians] Favorite E-mail programs and plugins

[Chuck Vohs]

JD Runyan wrote:

> Exchange for 15 users is silly and expensive. Unless your church is 
> very well off, and lacks members with technical expertise, I would 
> advise using web based calendering and an imap server. I would shift 
> them to SquirrelMail, IMAP(pick a solution), LDAP, SMTP. With the 
> right plugins, you can have personal/shared address books and 
> calenders in squirrel mail, and it is a breeze to maintain. If you 
> have static IP addresses to the Internet through a business class 
> service, then you can make all of this available on the Internet, and 
> then some of the staff can work from home, and you can make 
> collaboration resources more available to volunteers.  If you have to 
> buy access licenses for all users, then you won't include volunteers. 
> You could host something like this at a server rental/colo as well if 
> you are already doing a web site that way. I use a similar setup for 
> NWCG (National Wildfire Coordinating Group) because the major 
> groupware vendors revolve around stationary offices, and the mobile 
> users are an afterthought. I have thousands of users all over the 
> country, most of which will be connecting from a fire camp in the 
> woods.  I would push the cost factors, because most non-techies won't 
> understand the technical arguments. You could set up a prototype 
> system for them in very little time. I would request that time to do 
> that before the Exchange purchase is made. Just ask for the time to 
> show them an alternative.

Exchange through the conference is $350.  That is fairly inexpensive.  I 
am aware of the security issues, etc., but thanks to everyone for 
reminding me of those concerns.

I like the idea of a web-based calendaring system; what does everyone 
use and endorese?

As far as moving the staff from Outlook and M$, I'm reminded:
Lord, give me the serenity to accept things which cannot be changed;
Give me courage to change things which must be changed;
And the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.

So, with the goal of moving toward a linux environment, if we put in a 
llinux file and email server, using some web-based calendaring system, 
perhaps we can then start moving the workstations to linux.

Soound good?