218558 - Change Default "Reply Header" to show Name First

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(MailNews Core :: Composition, enhancement)

Description

[Peter Lairo]

An annoying thing on the current reply header, is that it shows the Date first.
So when you see a message with several replies listed (and nested) at the top,
you see a bunch of dates, and hav to read INTO the "Reply Header" to FIND the
name of the person that previously posted.

since the Name is (IMO) more relevant than the date, the name should be at the
BEGINNING of the reply header.

Suggest to change the reply header to:
1. have the name first
2. have the date second
3. to keep the header line as SHORT as possible

Suggested Reply Header:

  Peter@Lairo said on 06.09.03 23:31:
  > bla bla bla

Implementation could be as easy as making the following the defaul:
// Change the reply header
// 0 - No Reply-Text
// 1 - "[Author] wrote:"
// 2 - "On [date] [author] wrote:"
// 3 - User-defined reply header. Use the prefs below in conjuction with this:
user_pref("mailnews.reply_header_type", 3);

// If you set 3 for the pref above then you may set the following prefs.
user_pref("mailnews.reply_header_authorwrote", "%s said");
user_pref("mailnews.reply_header_ondate", "on %s");
user_pref("mailnews.reply_header_separator", " ");
user_pref("mailnews.reply_header_colon", ":");
// The end result will be [authorwrote][separator][ondate][colon]

Comment 1

[Mike Cowperthwaite]

Setting the reply_header_type value to 3 does put the name first.  Those other 
prefs mentioned apply for modes 1, 2, and 3.

http://www.holgermetzger.de/efaqmailnews.html#6

Comment 2

[Peter Lairo]

This bug is asking to change the *default* setting. Reopening.

BTW: We should add "at" before the time. Reason: The "on" before the date
doesn't realy apply to "time" (i.e., "on 16:45" is incorrect). It would also
make it much easier to read (i.e., visually differentiate between the date
"numbers" and the time "numbers"). This should happen regardless if
"reply_header_type", 3" becomes the default (this bug) or not. So the header
should read:

Peter@Lairo said on 06.09.03 at 23:31:

Comment 3

[Mike Cowperthwaite]

Reply headers are core functionality, moving.

Comment 4

[Karsten Düsterloh]

Not a priority.

Comment 5

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

(In reply to comment #4)
> Not a priority.

Agreed

Comment 6

[:aceman]

The BTW in comment 2 going to be allowed by bug 995797.

This bug with current summary is about which of the options should be the default:
// 0 - No Reply-Text (the --
// 1 - "[Author] wrote:"
// 2 - "On [date] [time], [author] wrote:"
// 3 - "[author] wrote on [date] [time]:"

If we want to change it to "On [date] at [time]" for English version then we can also do it in this bug. UX thoughts?

Comment 7

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

I don't want to change the default, but I'm neutral on the "at" addition.
(Mainly because the the wording of 3 is really awkward.)

Comment 8

[Blake Winton (:bwinton) (:☕️)]

I'm also -1 on changing the default, and neutral on the "at" addition.

Comment 9

[Josiah Bruner [:jsbruner]]

Yep, I disagree with changing the default as well and am not a fan of the "at" addition. Therefore, I'm going to go ahead and WONTFIX the bug. People can always change the prefs if it bothers them.

Comment 10

[:aceman]

OK, thanks. The biggest improvement is that bug 995797 will allow to add that 'at' for users and whole languages where it is more important than in English.