runbox
#Mail: Improve threaded view interactions
First off, props on going open source!
Two things I noticed with the threaded view that I think could be improved:
A) For threads with only one message (the majority of messages, for me) clicking on the message still takes you to the conversation view. It does automatically open the message in the message pane, which is good, but then you have to go back to the folder you were in to continue viewing messages, which is less than ideal.
Proposed: If a message in threaded view has only one component, it simply loads the message as it would in non-threaded view, and doesn't go to a separate conversation view.
B) I don't love the conversation view that you're taken to even in legitimate multi-message conversations, because it takes you out of the flow of the folder. Other ways I've seen this handled, for instance in Thunderbird's message threading, is to have an additional narrow column for conversation expanding/collapsing. The conversation is grouped within the existing list of messages.
So when that thread is collapsed, the conversation column displays a > and only the most recent message is displayed there. When the thread is expanded, the conversation column displays a V and the messages are displayed in order, with the first message at the top and the most recent at the bottom. (It also supports branching if for instance a multi-recipient message is replied to at different points in the conversation by different people.)
That's only one interface option, but the basic idea is...
Proposed: Keep users within the existing folder view even when viewing conversations.
This would also address (A) above automatically.
@rootwork Excellent writeup -- we'll improve on the inline conversation/thread view as proposed.
