1773352 - (tb-102-mailinglist-ux) [meta] Fix and improve basic mailing list UX for TB 102 to match TB 91

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Thunderbird :: Address Book, defect, P3)

Description

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

We haven't updated backend nor frontend of mailing lists for the new address book yet, which would need a total overhaul, and most of that is out of scope for TB 102.

However, it should be worth trying for TB 102 to at least keep the mailing list experience at par with TB 91. Here's a meta-ish bug for that.

Comment 1

[Alessandro Castellani [:aleca]]

All blocking bugs have been fixed.
Maybe this can be closed?

Comment 2

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to Alessandro Castellani [:aleca] from comment #1)

All blocking bugs have been fixed.
Maybe this can be closed?

Sure. For the last couple of nits, I've refiled some overlooked items from Bug 1774096 Comment 0 as bug 1791217.

Comment 3

[Alessandro Castellani [:aleca]]

Ah, great, sorry for missing that.
I'll take care of that!

Comment 4

[Matt]

Should this also be filed as another "nit" https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1390445

Comment 5

[Alessandro Castellani [:aleca]]

We're gonna implement vcard categories and retire our lists implementation, so all these leftover nits will be ignored for now and the categories implementation will be more flexible and reliable.

Comment 6

[Matt]

When? Users are in support now complaining about lost functionality. Next November is not really an answer I would like to offer them.

Comment 7

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Well, all the dependencies here are fixed (and uplifted/being uplifted I think). So what is missing?

Comment 8

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #7)

Well, all the dependencies here are fixed (and uplifted/being uplifted I think). So what is missing?

I agree with Magnus that it looks like 102 mailing list implementation is now at par with 91 mailing list implementation as the issues raised by me in this bug have been addressed (well, some string fixes maybe not directly suitable for uplifting). Matt?

(In reply to Matt from comment #4)

Should this also be filed as another "nit" https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1390445

Sorry, but I can't make sense of that user report at all (and I'm usually very creative at making sense of such reports). The options which you (Matt) have pointed out are the essential ways to create BCC to mailing list both in 91 and 102 (dragging might be another one, and has some inconsistencies both in 91 and 102 wrt using quotes). So if user claims that any feature got lost, what is that feature?
Unfortunately, we've never had direct BCC to contact(s) or mailing list from main AB window (bug 273879), but it works well from contacts side bar (context menu or Add-to-buttons).

Comment 9

[Matt]

Attachment: BugReport.png

AS I have a copy of V3.1, I used that. I selected the mailing list, clicked the write button and the displayed compose window fragment opened. With all the message list addresses populated.

That is the functionality that is missing from the mailing list according to that particular user. I can't find it, so I am agreeing with him that it is gone. I can find no way to customise the toolbar, so I have to assume what I see is what I get and that functionality has been lost.

Comment 10

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to Matt from comment #9)

Created attachment 9305554 [details]
AS I have a copy of V3.1, I used that. I selected the mailing list, clicked the write button and the displayed compose window fragment opened. With all the message list addresses populated.

Now I see what you mean.

STR

• In directory pane (sic, on the left side of AB!), select a mailing list node. Compare 91 vs. 102.
• Try to write a message to that mailing list (without going back to the parent AB and searching again for the mailing list which is already right in front of you)

Actual

• In 102, there's no direct way in the UI to write to a mailing list which is selected in directory pane.
• Looks like an obvious and legitimate scenario, but users in that situation may get stuck, not knowing how to perform that task (as in this support question).
• In TB 91, you could use the Write button on toolbar to write to everyone in the list via To (and weirdly, the list would be expanded as well).
• 102: As a workaround, you could click on the first member, then press Ctrl+A to select all members (much harder with mouse), then right-click > Write. Not very intuitive/efficient.

Expected

• Provide an easier/more intuitive/more discoverable way of writing to a mailing list node selected in directory pane
  • Imho, at least Write action should be offered in the context menu of a mailing list node in directory pane; I've advocated to assimilate the context menus (the other one is when you right-click on a mailing list item between contacts of the AB), but strangely, Write didn't make it...
  • I understand that Alex doesn't want to expose the Write button on the toolbar again, so with that, not easy to expose this in other ways which aren't random, but somewhat consistent with the general UI logics here...
• I think there's no advantage in auto-expanding the list; the visual and mental burden will be significantly less with just having a single mailing list item in the recipient area, consistent with the other methods of writing to a mailing list. You can always right-click on a list item in recipient area > Expand List.

Will file this as a bug.

That is the functionality that is missing from the mailing list according to that particular user. I can't find it, so I am agreeing with him that it is gone. I can find no way to customise the toolbar, so I have to assume what I see is what I get and that functionality has been lost.

True.