Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
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Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
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Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#2The title carries sarcasm as soon as you finish the article half-way.
I totally agree that usability is damn important. One reason I stopped using Ubuntu Desktop version is exactly the poor usability of Unity, and I now prefer headless (and if I ever need browser I'd use X-windows).
For email client I either use Thunderbird, or Outlook 2013, simply because graphical interface is easier to work with. I code using VIM and I do a lot of work from terminal, but I can't image myself learning all the tricks like dragging image, setting up a meeting, viewing people's availability the next day all via terminal screen. Doable but I still think graphical interface has advantage. The thing I dislike about email clients like Outlook is their WYSIWYG editor as sometimes the editor is limited, or too aggressive. But since my job involves a lot of communication, I do need the convenience of WYSIWYG and COPY-PASTE. What a struggle.
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#3The title carries sarcasm as soon as you finish the article half-way. I totally agree that usability is damn important. One reason I stopped using Ubuntu Desktop version is exactly the poor usability of Unity, and I now prefer headless (and if I ever need browser I'd use X-windows). For email client I either use Thunderbird, or Outlook 2013, simply because graphical interface is easier to work with. I code using VIM…
It's pretty easy to install other desktop environments on Ubuntu. I run with xfce because I just need a taskbar to keep track of my terminal windows.
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#4The title carries sarcasm as soon as you finish the article half-way. I totally agree that usability is damn important. One reason I stopped using Ubuntu Desktop version is exactly the poor usability of Unity, and I now prefer headless (and if I ever need browser I'd use X-windows). For email client I either use Thunderbird, or Outlook 2013, simply because graphical interface is easier to work with. I code using VIM…
I'd prefer things that need formatting be an attachment such as rtf or pdf leaving the email in plain text. There is no reason why personally written email needs rich text.
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#5Reminds me on the inverse question I replied to from a few weeks ago: "Ask HN: Someone still using Thunderbird for Gmail in 2015?" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10026641
To be honest, I never thought about the possible weakness of the html rendering in most clients. But then I am more concerned about my privacy than security.
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#6I don't use mutt anymore, but I still feel it's a beautiful client, both in its simplicity and its appearance (take the screenshot from the article, for example). I probably should start using it again since I'm transitioning away from Gmail to a traditional mail host.
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#7The title carries sarcasm as soon as you finish the article half-way. I totally agree that usability is damn important. One reason I stopped using Ubuntu Desktop version is exactly the poor usability of Unity, and I now prefer headless (and if I ever need browser I'd use X-windows). For email client I either use Thunderbird, or Outlook 2013, simply because graphical interface is easier to work with. I code using VIM…
It's pretty easy to install other desktop environments on Ubuntu. I run with xfce because I just need a taskbar to keep track of my terminal windows.
Why bother with the desktop environment at all in that case? You could just install a window manager (I like Openbox but you may prefer a tiling wm) and xfce4-panel, which works pretty well standalone. This has been my setup for years now :).
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#8Another reason is that it spawns a text editor. Typing emails in a text widget without proper editing capabilities can be irritating.
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#9The title carries sarcasm as soon as you finish the article half-way. I totally agree that usability is damn important. One reason I stopped using Ubuntu Desktop version is exactly the poor usability of Unity, and I now prefer headless (and if I ever need browser I'd use X-windows). For email client I either use Thunderbird, or Outlook 2013, simply because graphical interface is easier to work with. I code using VIM…
I'd prefer things that need formatting be an attachment such as rtf or pdf leaving the email in plain text. There is no reason why personally written email needs rich text.
It should also be all caps. There is no reason why personally written email needs two cases.
Re: Why Some Security Experts Use Mutt
#10Most "Security Experts" are working for consultancy, tech firms, and government agencies so they probably use plenty of other clients.
The majority will probably run Outlook since Exchange is the defacto mail-server standard for any organization (that isn't tied to Lotus because 45 years ago the CEO had to sacrifice a goat to appease IBM to spare his 1st born), the rest will probably use Gmail or any other web-based mail that their smaller company is using.
Most "experts" don't necessarily follow their own advice just as alcohol, drug use and smoking is more common in Doctors than any other diploma based profession out there, so can security "experts" run just as much as a shitty setup as everyone else and think that slightly better common sense and opsec will keep them safe which more often than not it would.