512937 - incorrect formatting in received emails, spaces/blank l where there shouldn't be

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Thunderbird :: Message Reader UI, defect)

Description

[menhir]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.13) Gecko/2009073022 Firefox/3.0.13
Build Identifier: Thunderbird version 2.0.0.23 (20090812)

My emails have been received with my formatting totally unrecognisable in some instances.  I am concerned about this.  I have been using TB for a long time.  I never had a problem like this when I used Outlook Express.  I also see that my formatting has changed with emails into my sent box.  I thought it was just a 'bug' with the transfer into the sent box, I did not realize till recently, that the emails presentation was altered when it got to the recipients.  They do not present well; it does not look good. 

I use plain text, when sending to people I know with Mac or other non-Microsoft platforms, and I usually check the button for plain text/html if I do not personally know what system is being used, (but in all likelihood could be a Windows platform) and for business mail.  When I look in my sent box, the changed formatting usually occurs to my mail, whatever button is checked.  If I make formatting changes before I send my mails they usually get screwed up.  This is not good.  I am debating whether to return to using Outlook Express again.

Regarding your 'bug' listings. As a reasonably computer literate user of I.T. though not a programmer or a geek, I did not understand the language used with most of your reports.  So, even if you do know about this problem, it is quite possible I did not understand the language used that would indicate a report about it.  I would be very grateful for any replies to be in a form I can understand, plain and  non-technical.  Thank you.

Today, 27th August 2009, I sent a personal mail to a mac user, one short paragraph was merged with another when it arrived in my in-box. I had not formatted that later, the separation of the paragraph was part of the original formatting.  In any case, that should not matter if the transfer of data was working as I would hope.

Your help would be appreciated. 

Many thanks.

Reproducible: Didn't try

Actual Results:  
Don't need to reproduce, it happens without assistance from me.

Expected Results:  
not applicable.

I would expect my formatting to be secure and and stay as I design it.  It is more than misaligned text and I have received criticism for the way my mails have appeared on arrival.

Comment 1

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

Menhir could you provide use with a few things :

  * screen shot of how the email end up screwed.
  * save the email the way it was sent (see you sent folder) as an .eml file and attach it to this bug.

Comment 2

[menhir]

Hello,

Your messages go into my junk mail box as Thunderbird picks them up as viruses or bugged mail.  I don't often check my junk mail box as TB is pretty efficient with it.  I just happened to look and found your two messages.  I think something should be sorted to ensure that your email client recognises genuine mail from yourselves.  

Can you please advise me how to take a screen shot and send it to you.  I tried to do something similar when I started using Thunderbird and it did not work.  Perhaps I did something incorrectly.  I would be grateful for guidance on how to successfully obtain screen shots with Thunderbird. Then I will happily send you what you ask.

For your information, since I filed my problem to you, I have heard from someone else who has the same screwed up formatting difficulty, and is also looking for a fix for it.

Many thanks.

Comment 3

[[:Aureliano Buendía]]

You can use "add an attachment" link above.

For attach testcase email: select your email that show this issue and click on menu-->File-->Save As-->File... and save (as mail File, *.eml that is default choice)

For screenshot you should see TB in action with this issue and after click on "PrtScr" (or similar on your keyboards "Capture screen", "print screen"). After you can open Microsoft Paint (on start-->programs-->accessories) and save it as *.jpeg

Comment 4

[menhir]

Hello,

Bug 512937 

I have been waiting very patiently for a fix for the problem I reported to you.  I have replied to your requests for samples of the problem, twice.  

Would you kindly tell me what is happening to my query.  As mentioned, the disrupted formatting happens when I send emails plain text or if I click on the button to send either plain text/HTML.  

There are other people who have contacted me with the same problem, who would like it fixed.  

Regards,

Z A C L (menhir)

Comment 5

[menhir]

P.S.  Thunderbird spam filter throws your mail to me into the spam box.  It sees your communications as dubious.  Perhaps you could also consider how to overcome this difficulty as well.

Thank you.

M

Comment 6

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

I still don't have a screenshot to look at so for now there's not much we can do.

Comment 7

[menhir]

Ludovic, I have sent you an email this evening advising you I have sent emails with copies of emails with disrupted formatting, to your office, both to you and Aureliano, which appear to have been deleted.  I will send you repeat emails with the attachments.  

Regards

Comment 8

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

I got them. and replied. now that we have example can we get to discussing this publicly ?

So your issue is that paragraph are loosing some formatting. It looks like some white lines are removed. Is this a better description of your issue ?

Comment 9

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

So what I want is :

* discussion happening here not on private email.
* I want a test case - something way more precise than what's in this bug:
   * ideally it would be either an email that you can share with the world (if you have that fine see (1) below).
   * if not precise steps to get to the bug and a precise definition of the bug
        i) for now the bug could be spaces are removed
        ii) or the paragraphs are borked
And these are to different bugs. so the more precise we are the better it is for us to understand the issue and be able to fix it.

* Is the issue still present if you use Thunderbird 3.0b4 ? 

(1) : please save the email from your sent box and attach it to the bug. Then edit this email as new and send it to one of your recipient that usually sees the issue. ask that recipient to save the email on his system to send it back to you so you can attach it here. While you are sending the email if you could capture the smtp log and attach it here that would be great (doc for that is at https://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:Logging)

Comment 10

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

So what we want is : discussion in the bug - *not in private email* and we want to reduce the scope. we can't fix a bug repport that says , it's broken. your description is two open. and having emails I can't share doesn't help. we need emails that we can use publicly.

Comment 11

[menhir]

Attachment: received, query made, question answered, line space (formatting) lost in transmission

I hope this is what you want. The attached email was sent to me today;
I asked a question and;
It was sent to me with the question answered.

The two line spacing  of two of the paragraphs is lost.  This is a sample of the type of disruption of formatting that is happening. I never had this problem with Outlook Express.

I have sent emails (without attachments) direct to Ludovic which will also show the problem.

Comment 12

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

Yes we got what we need to investigate. Thanks for your time. Sorry if I sounded bad in the emails.

Comment 13

[menhir]

Hello,

I am very disappointed indeed, that there has been no further feedback on this problem.  I asked a friend to look at the loss of lines, the disrupted formatting.  He looked at similar samples to those I sent you, and the mails we were sending back and forth to each other via Thunderbird.  His conclusion is that the problem lies with Thunderbird.  

As you do not appear to be able to devise a fix for the lost lines, (disrupted formatting) I have, regretfully, no choice but to return to using Microsoft Outlook Express.  If you do manage to fix this, will you let me know, and I will be very happy to switch again to using Thunderbird.  I cannot use Thunderbird with the current problem.

Comment 14

[David :Bienvenu]

You need to give us steps to reproduce your problem in order for us to even begin to understand the problem you're having. For example,

1. Type abc. <ret> cef <ret> 
2. click send - choose plain text or plain text and html, whatever causes the problem.
3. Read the message - note that there's an extra blank line between abc and cef, or a blank line missing, or whatever the problem is.

I don't know of any issues like this myself. Just attaching a .eml file and saying it's wrong doesn't really help us since we don't know what you typed or intended the formatting to be.

Comment 15

[menhir]

Thank you for your reply.  I have already sent everything that Ludovic asked for by way of proof and evidence of the problem.  He personally replied, and said what I sent at his request, was what he asked for and was okay for your team to work with.  If you look through the back data you will find all the evidence I sent you.

If not, are you saying you have lost all the data I sent you?  I sincerely hope not.

Comment 16

[David :Bienvenu]

OK, where in the attached e-mail do you expect two blank lines? I see blank lines between your greeting and the main paragraph, and a blank line between the main paragraph and the sign-off. You say "The two line spacing  of two of the paragraphs is lost." but that doesn't really tell me which paragraphs you're talking about.

Comment 17

[menhir]

It is not what I expect, it is what is happening. I do not expect disrupted formatting, nor do I want it.  Your office lost my correspondence once before, I kindly sent replacements

I have sent a number of samples (twice) with all the details, including where the formatting was disrupted and even shown you, at mosilla, exactly where the formatting has been lost.  You do not seem to have traced the the samples of correspondence, yet again. 

I have also sent mail that was sent out by me to a recipient, which formed part of a reply,and was also something Ludovico requested.  (I did the same thing by the way, for my friend, so he could examine the 'sent' and 'received' codes etc. As mentioned, he concluded the fault lay with Thunderbird)

1.One person in your office sees the stuff was messed up; I send what he wants via the bug;(your name for it). 

2.He says there is enough to work with, I have shown what is happening.

3.I have explained and described where the disruptions have occurred, and you still cannot resolve the issue.  

4.You turn it back on me.  I have sent your office everything that was asked for.  Please find ALL the information I have sent you.  

This is not a good use of my time.  If you do not have the skills to resolve the dilemma, then we can go no further forward.  If, and when you have resolved this problem, which other people have experienced too, perhaps you would kindly contact me.

Comment 18

[David :Bienvenu]

All I know is what I see in the bug - I'm sorry that I was not involved in the private correspondence. But I don't have enough information to help you, unfortunately.

Comment 19

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

(In reply to comment #18)
> All I know is what I see in the bug - I'm sorry that I was not involved in the
> private correspondence. But I don't have enough information to help you,
> unfortunately.

My bad I forgot to follow up on the last one - but on the private correspondence the only thing I asked, was a testcase which we have - which got attached to the bug - that's the only thing I said. I left the bug unconfirmed because I didn't see anything wrong while opening the attached email.

Comment 20

[menhir]

The many pieces of mail I sent through by request to the bug (not private mail) were what were asked for, what I have described to you, and what were accepted as appropriate and desired.  It seems your office have lost nearly of it, again.  This lack of continuity is disastrous.  Mozilla will never and can never fix anything while it operates in such a haphazard manner.

You also need to do something with Thunderbird's address book that stores repeat addresses ad infinitum.

As I said, contact me when you have found a fix and sorted out Thunderbird.  Meantime, I am closing down my use of Thunderbird.

Comment 21

[menhir]

Ludovico, 

Look back at your correspondence, comment 12.  You got enough material from me, and you know it and you confirmed it!  I have wasted enough of my time.  

I reproduce your reply below:

" Ludovic Hirlimann (:_Tsk_)      2009-09-30 01:00:13 PDT

Yes we got what we need to investigate. Thanks for your time. Sorry if I
sounded bad in the emails".

I am no longer going to use Thunderbird, it is not performing to a proper standard and it seems, your department are unable to anything to improve matters.

As already stated, I shall no longer waste my time.  Mozilla can let me know when and if the problem is fixed,  problems, which have, as you know, been experienced by other people who are also waiting for a fix.

Comment 22

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

can a sanitized screen shot be posted

Comment 23

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

menhir, I don't see anything bad here. screen shot coming up.

Do you see this problem when using version 3?

Comment 24

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Attachment: wsm sees this from testcase

Comment 25

[Joshua Cranmer [:jcranmer]]

RESOLVED INCOMPLETE due to lack of response to last question. If you feel this change was made in error, please respond to this bug with your reasons why.