scanned most of the topic displays. Seems an apparently exhaustive, logical and probably sufficient analysis of why 'IMAP' ~~ sux, by comparison with alternatives.
Since computer-'science' is allegedly--like other sciences--ever in search of the lucid, the provably superior [method.. for anything], dare I ask a few Qs which ensue?

I mean, with trillions of messages, with content from the agonizingly stupid ---> blissfully profound: clearly 'mail' techno has risen to the level of Critical Asset™, daily/minute-by-minute.
Q:[WHY] Is there NO adult supervision at IMAP HQ??
Worse (and given the predictably hole-filled mess that every Doze 'build' carries forward [to the {sob} Next)

Is 'IT' forever doomed to operate solely under the bizhead/reduced-comprehension of the spreadsheet besotted/science-illiterate corner-office droids? eg
Why Is It that 'IT' Pros have never funded an org, with, say, the aims of Consumer Reports
[but for its audience]--one with the creds and the English Language chops to act as a moderator:
pointing out the major flaws of Ap-A -vs- Ap-B, especially in an area so critical as, non-confusing, properly coded MAIL Aps?

Hmm? Surely enough time has elapsed since the 486-DX, that the need for Adult Supervision is manifest.

OK I'm iggerant of n+66 aspects of The Problem; still, how's come your trade/Profession/ Calling? appears to believe it (IT) can make decent progress in weeding out the sub-quality stuff now in proliferation:
without a recognized, respected, Competent org dedicated to the critical oversight of, at least the Crucial Aps in worldwide circulation?

[The Market Will Correct? cha cha cha] Surely you jest.

(Yesss, you'd have to Support the gestation and then maintenance of such an org--with real money.)
Out of your Own proceeds [call it Dues] ... at least until it achieves Cabinet Status for its relevance to 'info' transmission of every description,
and is properly finded as is any other Critical National Asset.

I believe I raised a similar issue.. oh, say ~ Ten years ago..? Has anything 'improved' since?
Is everybody just too busy debugging, to notice or care about this |black hole| in the middle of your fav playground? Zzzzzzzzzzz


Curmudgeons everywhere Want To Know.

[oTyp]

Used it to send stuff from Indiana --> Moscow in early '90s; then, it seemed near-miraculous.
It even accommodated Cyrillic text!/somehow. I no Unix then, but had to grok enough to proceed.
Picky lot, aren't we?