Thunderbird Question

[fenton06]

When I type a reply in Thunderbird it automatically sets the cursor at the bottom of the email. I want it to default at the top, because it is just plain annoying to have to click to the top, add a few lines, and then start typing. I have looked in the options and found nothing...

 

[TerryG]

Open the Account Settings window, the settings are under the Composition & Addressing. If you have more than one email account set up, you'll have to change the setting for each account.

 

[Shadow2531]

When I type a reply in Thunderbird it automatically sets the cursor at the bottom of the email.

That's done on purpose because you're supposed to reply downward. TerryG's suggestion will work though if you can't get used to the right way.

 

[ChingChang]

That's done on purpose because you're supposed to reply downward. TerryG's suggestion will work though if you can't get used to the right way.

How is that the "right way"?

Every email or private message (most PMs) I've recieved, everyone just makes the reply at the top. That way if it has been replied to many times, you don't have to scroll down to the bottom to see the newest reply. And if you wanted to, you could see all of the previous messages by scrolling down and reading up.

Just makes more sense to me to put the previous text at the bottom out of the way...

 

[Shadow2531]

How is that the "right way"?

Note: The "right way" is opinionated. You can of course do what you want.

Every email or private message (most PMs) I've recieved, everyone just makes the reply at the top.

Yes, many do top posting, but it's very annoying, especially on mailing lists. You can even get banned from lists or completely ignored for top posting.

Just makes more sense to me to put the previous text at the bottom out of the way...

If you put it out of the way, what part are you responding to? The whole thing? A certain part?

You want to avoid scrolling, but the person is going to have to scroll back and forth to see what you're talking about.

It goes like this:

> part of message you want to quote
reply to that part
> part of message you want to quote
reply to that part

not

reply to that part
> part of message you want to quote
reply to that part
> part of message you want to quote

or

reply
> message

If this was your forum, would you make all new posts start at the beginning of the thread?

It's kind of the same thing with email.

Here's a short explanation:
http://email.about.com/cs/netiquettetips/qt/et090402.htm

You can find stuff like that all over the place.

Anyway, for informal mail it's not too big of a deal, but anything else, it makes sense to reply downward, which is why that's thunderbird's default. It just seems wrong because you're not used to it.

 

[ChingChang]

If you put it out of the way, what part are you responding to? The whole thing? A certain part?

If I'm responding to something, I'd copy the part I'm repsponding to, quote it before my response, then respond under it. Then I'd also leave the original messages below my new reply.

You want to avoid scrolling, but the person is going to have to scroll back and forth to see what you're talking about.

No, if I'm quoting something I'd put it up at the top. The bottom would be for reference, listing every reply in order they were sent.

It goes like this:

> part of message you want to quote
reply to that part
> part of message you want to quote
reply to that part

not

reply to that part
> part of message you want to quote
reply to that part
> part of message you want to quote

or

reply
> message

It works better IMO if it goes like this:

>quote of message3 (if necessary)
reply

>message3
>>message2
>>>message1

This way, you don't have to scroll down to see the reply, have the previous message (partial) quoted for quick reference, and every previous message/reply at the bottom for reference (meaning you won't have to go searching for old emails)

OR:

reply

>message3
>>message2
>>>message1

Quotes aren't always necessary. I don't always use them in a forum, only if I think someone might not know what I'm replying to. If I think the reciever might not understand what my reply is referring to, I'd quote parts of their message. Message3 would be right under my reply in case the reciever forgot what they previously said or whatever.

If this was your forum, would you make all new posts start at the beginning of the thread?

It's kind of the same thing with email.

Not the same thing at all.
As you can see, I'm not putting your quote at the bottom of my post (I know a couple people do that sometimes though). I just quote the part I'm replying to, then put my response right under. I'd do the same with an email too, but in addition to quoting, I'd leave previous messages at the bottom. In a forum, all previous posts are already on the page...

With Private Messages though, I do the same thing as email. That way I don't have to go looking through all the PMs if I want to see something the guy said before... it would be right at the bottom of the PM.

Anyway, for informal mail it's not too big of a deal, but anything else, it makes sense to reply downward, which is why that's thunderbird's default. It just seems wrong because you're not used to it.

It seems wrong to me because the other way can be more useful.

 

[ChingChang]

Also, this forum does do a similar reply format. When you click the reply button, on the page you will see the reply box at the top, with previous posts under it going down from most recent to oldest. Makes it easy to refer to previous posts.

 

[Shadow2531]

If I'm responding to something, I'd copy the part I'm repsponding to, quote it before my response, then respond under it.

Awesome.

Then I'd also leave the original messages below my new reply.

I see. You quote parts of the message and respond below them. Then, instead of discarding the original message, which you've already responded to in parts, you put the entire message below your responses and resend entire copies of the messages below your response with each reply.

Then, since all the entire copies of messages and repsonses + quotes adds up with each reply, you get major scrolling. In other words, since you keep everything, you end up with a big mess and basically use each message in a way where you're sending a new copy of a whole thread each time you reply instead of relying on previous emails as posts that contain the origina message.

That's your choice if you want to do things like that, but Thunderbird isn't meant to be used that way by default, which is why it's set to start the reply at the bottom.

Gmail is a good example of why you don't need to keep resending copies of the entire message because the previous messages are right there in front of you in a thread-like manner. ( I do know the cursor starts up top in the textarea on reply though. I hope they change that.)

In Thunderbird, it's the same way. Previous messages are in mails you already received. No need to keep resending them with each reply. Also, in the message list window, you can click on the thread view button, which will organize your messages in threads.

Also, this forum does do a similar reply format. When you click the reply button, on the page you will see the reply box at the top

Yes, but when you post, it goes at the bottom of the thread and, you're not posting whole copies of previous states of the thread below your reply.

Anyway, tools -> account settings -> "composition & addressing" ( for the account in question) is where you can change Tbird to start the reply up top.

 

[ChingChang]

I see. You quote parts of the message and respond below them. Then, instead of discarding the original message, which you've already responded to in parts, you put the entire message below your responses and resend entire copies of the messages below your response with each reply.

Then, since all the entire copies of messages and repsonses + quotes adds up with each reply, you get major scrolling. In other words, since you keep everything, you end up with a big mess and basically use each message in a way where you're sending a new copy of a whole thread each time you reply instead of relying on previous emails as posts that contain the origina message.

Not really a big mess. The reciever is not forced to read the previous messages. They can just ignore any of the text below the reply, or if they wanted to they could read it instead of looking through all their old email to find something.

I don't see why you care so much. Does it even matter? Just about everyone I have emailed follows the same format I do. They do the same thing. It just seems better to me.

In Thunderbird, it's the same way. Previous messages are in mails you already received. No need to keep resending them with each reply. Also, in the message list window, you can click on the thread view button, which will organize your messages in threads.

Yeah, you might still have the old emails, but why go looking for them when the content is right in the most recent email? It's just more convenient to do it this way.

Yes, but when you post, it goes at the bottom of the thread and, you're not posting whole copies of previous states of the thread below your reply.

I guess what I was trying to say is that the reply page gives you quick access to the thread posts... so that you don't have to open a new window and look through the thread, you can just scroll down if you want to see something. Just like putting previous messages below your reply in an email.

Then, since all the entire copies of messages and repsonses + quotes adds up with each reply, you get major scrolling.

So do these forums have "major scrolling" in the reply page??
We do not have to scroll down. It's just there for convenience.

 

[Shadow2531]

I guess what I was trying to say is that the reply page gives you quick access to the thread posts

Yes. You are corrrect. I get ya.

So do these forums have "major scrolling" in the reply page??
We do not have to scroll down. It's just there for convenience.

Correct, you do not have to scroll down and if you want to look at a previous posts, you conveniently can. That's cool.

Of course, the forum could be set up to have the reply box at the bottom and automatically jump to the reply box, with the only difference being you'd have to scroll up to check a certain post instead of scrolling down. In thunderbird, when you reply below, it autoscrolls to the bottom, so, I suppose we could go back n forth on the scrolling part, but either way, you don't have to scroll.

You could even reply downward and keep the original message up top as long as you don't have to scroll. ( If everybody is doing things the same way. ) So, in Thunderbird, the only reason you'd have to reply up top to avoid scrolling is because everyone else you're talking to is doing the same.

However, if everyone you're talking to is replying in a top to bottom thread-like manner ( like these forums ), then you'd probably reply below. ( As long as you were autoscrolled down on reply. )

Thunderbird could use an option to autocroll down on *reading* a message though. That's a problem with Tbird though and not a problem with replying downward.

That leaves the convenience of leaving the entire original message. It's quite inefficient to do it that way, but I understand the convenience. However, you can gain the convenience and be efficient at the same time using thread views in Thunderbird or using Gmail. It's your choice of course.

I want you to use whatever way works best for you. Tbird is just not set up best for you by default, but I've explained some of the reasons why.

I really think you'd like Gmail. Maybe not.

 

[ChingChang]

I wouldn't use Gmail. I have a webhost and just use that email address.

How do I use thread views with thunderbird? I can't find an option to enable that. I'm Interested to see how this works.

 

[Shadow2531]

I wouldn't use Gmail. I have a webhost and just use that email address.]I wouldn't use Gmail. I have a webhost and just use that email address.

I have a webhost also and use that as my main email. I use gmail though for lists and specification discussions etc.

How do I use thread views with thunderbird?

At the top of the message list, you have the different column buttons like "subject", "sender" and "date" etc. The button all the way to the left is the thread one. Clicking it will group messages into threads.

Opera's M2 has that also.

Also, you might want to check out:

https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/2983/
https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/1339/
https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/937/
https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/905/
https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/347/
https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/170/
http://www.extensionsmirror.nl/index.php?showforum=3