142729 - Add frontend status display / icons to mail (showing READ, REPLIED To etc.)

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 22112

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Message Display, enhancement)

Description

[Hakon]

Adding gui follow-ups to sent/received messaages would be cool and very useful.
I'm thinking of two ways to do this:
 1. The present icons which are in the list of messages could be changed so that
by looking at them, you could tell whether a message has been read, replied
upon, etc.
 2. Some info in the message window (outside the message body) that tells the
same, either plain text or an icon.

When it comes to incoming messages,
 Status info for:
    - UNREAD (just as it is already)
    - READ (also as it is already)
    - READ AND REPLIED (maybe an envelope with an upward arrow)

Regarding messages in the Sent folder,
 Status info for:
    - SENT (closed envelope with question mark)
      meaning it hasn't been read, or return receipt hasn't
      been replied for some reason
    - SENT (closed envelope only)
      meaning you didn't ask for a return receipt
    - READ (open envelope)
      meaning that a return receipt has been received
    - READ AND REPLIED (maybe an envelope with a downward icon)
      meaning that a return receipt has been received
      
Note that "Sent Mail -> READ" is the only item dealing with return receipts.
Anyway, With this function implemented, maybe you would be able to set a
Prefences option so that incoming return receipts would never appear as plain
messages? Instead they would be handled invisibly backend. You would still be
able to determine whether outgoing mail has been read or not, IMHO in a better
and more practical way.

Comment 1

[Hakon]

And I was thinking that #2 (plain text info in the message window) could also
show at what time/date (for a sent massage) it was read.
E.g. ->  Read on 2002-04-15 (10.14)

Comment 2

[Tilo Sloboda]

I think a "follow-up" functionality would be very helpful!!

when selecting a message, one should be able to enter a time or date at
which the user will get a reminder for the selected message.. 

The reminder could be done by either:

   - popping up a window at the specified time/date, with a list 
     of all messages (sorted by date) which have a reminder set
     ... and highlighting the current message

   - popping up the single message at the specified time/date 
     (that could become annoying)

   - adding the message at the specified time/date to the list of emails
     in the inbox, clearly marking it as a reminder


This could help users a lot to keep track of time-critical or not yet 
completed emails.. 



Although I'm not sure if actually re-sending the email would be a good way 
to implement it.. 

I think it would be best, if the Mail-GUI just adds a line in the message 
window, which looks like the email was just received

Comment 3

[Max Spicer]

Re: #2 I don't think this is relevant to this enhancement request.  Could you
file another bug, if there isn't one already?

I definitely agree with the idea of adding a replied state to the icon that
appears next to a message's subject.  Currently, the only way of getting this
information at a glance is to add in the Status column.  However, this column is
largely redundant as most of its functionality is already given by the icon in
the subject column.  I work on an 800x600 display at home and choose not to have
the status column due to limited space.  This makes it impossible to quickly
find out which messages still need replying to.

This must surely be an easy change to make.  If so, and someone could provide
pointers about where to start, I'd be happy to have a go at it.  I've never
hacked the Mozilla source before though, so please warn me off if necessary!

I've tweaked the subject a bit as finding this bug took some doing.

Comment 4

[Ross Shannon]

All that needs to be changed here is the small envelope icon beside the subject
line, adding a small arrow (or two arrows for a message that has been
forwarded). This one change will make the Status column fully redundant; a good
thing (half its functionality is already mirrored by the text of a new message
being bolded).

Outlook Express already has this feature, and I was surprised it's not seen as a
basic requirement in Mail - it's been a problem for me a number of times
already, with me responding to the same mail twice etc.

Comment 5

[Tarmo Järvalt]

dupe of bug 22112
http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=22112

Comment 6

[[e-mail]]

reporter: how is this different to bug 22112 ?

Comment 7

[Hakon]

I guess it's mostly the same, but with this bug I also focus on the incoming
"return receipts" and wanted those invisible, instead showing their info in
other ways. Dup if you want.

Comment 8

[Mike Cowperthwaite]

Duping per reporter's comment 7.  (Move your votes, folks.)

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 22112 ***