5 ms·

Thunderbird is finally paying attention to the UI side of things. Hopefully they finally implement the standard multiline email list view which has been on the

Thunderbird is finally paying attention to the UI side of things. Hopefully they finally implement the standard multiline email list view which has been on the back burner for 19 years XD https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=213945 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=213945

toomim 4y ago
Noooooo... The reason I switched to thunderbird is that it displays each email on a single line, which is sooooo much more information dense, and thus efficient! There's no better way to manage a large amount of email than displaying a large amount on screen!
- seraphine 4y ago
  Even if they add it, the single-line display will always be around. It isn't mutually exclusive by any means. All clients that support multiline also have single-line support.
  - toomim 4y ago
    Nope. Mail.app removed it long ago. iOS mail has never had it. Even gmail is less info-dense than it could be, as it routinely increases the padding and margins for each message, even with the most dense view.
teddyh 4y ago
A recent poster in that thread claims that multiline email list view is now implemented: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=213945#c214 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=213945#c214
- sph 4y ago
  It's been implemented in a fork, not in thunderbird.
  - teddyh 4y ago
    Ah, right. My mistake.
sph 4y ago
Yeah lack of it is a deal breaker. I guess it needs a few more years to get it out of the door. They said it might be fixed before the bugs 20th anniversary, so less than one year to go, but I somehow doubt it.
cardanome 4y ago
> Thunderbird is finally paying attention to the UI side of things I wish they would not. I don't want any UI changes on my email client. Ever. It is one of my most important tools for work, so I don't want to tolerate anything that breaks or changes my workflow. I am super happy user of thunderbird but if they keep doing this "modernizing" thing I will have to switch to a more stable mail client (after my current version that I never plan on updating breaks that is).
- vnkr 4y ago
  If you don't want your software to change, don't update it. The way Thunderbird looks and the messages list is a large part of it is horrendous and is a deal breaker for me, for example.
  - tux2bsd 4y ago
    > don't update it It is an application that receives content from the Internet, your advice is dreadful. Email is a primary vector for exploitation.
    - vnkr 4y ago
      Correct. And also customer needs, UI technologies, the way people use apps and services change. So it's all right for apps to change as well.
      - tux2bsd 4y ago
        It's alright if the UI isn't made worse. The modern example of fuckhead UI changes. Changing settings without having to click apply and/or OK. Changing from the "cog" icon to those three idiotic bars (hamburger?). Interfaces are often used by people who are not IT savvy. The simplest of UI changes can mess their decade(s) old patterns of usage, the elderly are the easiest example of users affected by this. It not just their individual problem, those people then reach out for help which can be at considerable personal financial expense.
    - 4y ago
currysausage 4y ago
One of the attached screenshots made me deeply nostalgic because it reminded me of a time when GUI icons were both elegant and easy to comprehend and distinguish: https://bug213945.bmoattachments.org/attachment.cgi?id=307017 https://bug213945.bmoattachments.org/attachment.cgi?id=30701... This era ~15 years ago must have been peak GUI design, with many applications being both beginner-friendly and powerful. And if your grandma called, you could easily steer her through menus over the phone. Nowadays, good luck describing the latest incarnation of the hamburger icon over the phone, especially when all the other monochrome line drawings look quite similar to aging eyes.
- infinet 4y ago
  Exactly! We have color monitor and yet all icons are black and white.
einpoklum 4y ago
While some UI elements do improve, others are being degraded, becoming more mobile-phone-web-page-like.
FastMonkey 4y ago
Oh man, that's literally the only thing holding me back from thunderbird. I used it years ago and would love to go back!

toomim 4y ago

Noooooo... The reason I switched to thunderbird is that it displays each email on a single line, which is sooooo much more information dense, and thus efficient! There's no better way to manage a large amount of email than displaying a large amount on screen!

seraphine 4y ago
Even if they add it, the single-line display will always be around. It isn't mutually exclusive by any means. All clients that support multiline also have single-line support.
- toomim 4y ago
  Nope. Mail.app removed it long ago. iOS mail has never had it. Even gmail is less info-dense than it could be, as it routinely increases the padding and margins for each message, even with the most dense view.

teddyh 4y ago

A recent poster in that thread claims that multiline email list view is now implemented: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=213945#c214 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=213945#c214

sph 4y ago
It's been implemented in a fork, not in thunderbird.
- teddyh 4y ago
  Ah, right. My mistake.

sph 4y ago

Yeah lack of it is a deal breaker. I guess it needs a few more years to get it out of the door. They said it might be fixed before the bugs 20th anniversary, so less than one year to go, but I somehow doubt it.

cardanome 4y ago

> Thunderbird is finally paying attention to the UI side of things I wish they would not. I don't want any UI changes on my email client. Ever. It is one of my most important tools for work, so I don't want to tolerate anything that breaks or changes my workflow. I am super happy user of thunderbird but if they keep doing this "modernizing" thing I will have to switch to a more stable mail client (after my current version that I never plan on updating breaks that is).

vnkr 4y ago
If you don't want your software to change, don't update it. The way Thunderbird looks and the messages list is a large part of it is horrendous and is a deal breaker for me, for example.
- tux2bsd 4y ago
  > don't update it It is an application that receives content from the Internet, your advice is dreadful. Email is a primary vector for exploitation.
  - vnkr 4y ago
    Correct. And also customer needs, UI technologies, the way people use apps and services change. So it's all right for apps to change as well.
    - tux2bsd 4y ago
      It's alright if the UI isn't made worse. The modern example of fuckhead UI changes. Changing settings without having to click apply and/or OK. Changing from the "cog" icon to those three idiotic bars (hamburger?). Interfaces are often used by people who are not IT savvy. The simplest of UI changes can mess their decade(s) old patterns of usage, the elderly are the easiest example of users affected by this. It not just their individual problem, those people then reach out for help which can be at considerable personal financial expense.
  - 4y ago

currysausage 4y ago

One of the attached screenshots made me deeply nostalgic because it reminded me of a time when GUI icons were both elegant and easy to comprehend and distinguish: https://bug213945.bmoattachments.org/attachment.cgi?id=307017 https://bug213945.bmoattachments.org/attachment.cgi?id=30701... This era ~15 years ago must have been peak GUI design, with many applications being both beginner-friendly and powerful. And if your grandma called, you could easily steer her through menus over the phone. Nowadays, good luck describing the latest incarnation of the hamburger icon over the phone, especially when all the other monochrome line drawings look quite similar to aging eyes.

infinet 4y ago
Exactly! We have color monitor and yet all icons are black and white.

einpoklum 4y ago

While some UI elements do improve, others are being degraded, becoming more mobile-phone-web-page-like.

FastMonkey 4y ago

Oh man, that's literally the only thing holding me back from thunderbird. I used it years ago and would love to go back!