Our wish list for 2019-2020

[hadaso]

Originally Posted by misc

Optionally use labels instead of folders. I know that labels won’t appeal to everybody and also I'm aware of the drawbacks when it comes to IMAP compatibility. But as I use the FM web interface or the FM app most of the time, I would clearly prefer having labels for managing my emails.

I think that labels should be in addition to folders, not instead of folders.
I use folders to separate emails that don't belong together, such as works email in separate folders from personal email, and in the past email from different employers in separate folders). I also use sub-folders to organize email within these folders, and I would rather be able to use labels for this, assuming that multiple labels can be applied to one email. currently I often have to make copies of emails belonging to separate sub-folders. An alternative to labels can be the ability to add searchable keywords to stored messages (so I can later search for them. I often search for emails, but these searches cannot find what's not explicitly written in the message).

[hadaso]

I'd like to be able to be able to create a new identity based on an existing identity. If I can replicate an identity I can then edit it to make a new one with the same signature and different address or folder, auto-bcc etc.
The same with creating folders: to be able to create a new folders with all the properties of an existing folder.

[JeremyNicoll]

Originally Posted by hadaso

The same with creating folders: to be able to create a new folders with all the properties of an existing folder.

I've recently asked FM for that, for at least folders and also rules. I also complained about the way that the dialogs use only a tiny fraction of the available horizontal space (in a browser anyway), making it especially hard to see more than a tiny part of a rule's conditions (in the 'describe it in plain english' overview) and in the condition-editing dialog. I usually write regular expressions elsewhere then c&p them in... but why should I have to?

I also dislike the way that new rules & folders appear in a random place in the list; a 'clone' option that defined a new thing adjacent to the existing one would be less confusing.

I also suggested that (for rules) a 'move up/down 10/25/50' places option would help - I already have 100 or so rules and having to drag them around in small fractions of a screen is very annoying. If one could move an entry up/down by eg 20 slots that would help (provided they coloured it differently on the move so you could find it again).

In lieu of screens wide enough to see much more of a rule I suggested they implement a (say, 20 character) nickname for each rule, so one could at least see all of that.

I also suggested that a way to get a plain text listing of the whole set of rules would help; I know one can list the equivalent Sieve code but that's a long way from being friendly especially for non-programmers. I'm considering writing something for my own use that will take the Sieve list and condense it... one more thing for the to-do list.

[17pm]

The thing at the top of my list is this:

- Move from Australia/US to an ethical country.

[Terry]

Most of the staff who run and own fastmail live in Australia, with a few exceptions some are based in the US.

Over 85% of the Fastmail users are living in the US so it would be a really silly decision to move everything.

What country would you suggest would be more ethical?

[Grhm]

Here's my top ten wished-for improvements to the Fastmail web interface:

★1 Introduce a 'minimalist' version for use on old or basic browsers which, at the very least, allows mail to be read and sent.

★2 Remove the restriction on the number of web addresses we can have, or massively increase it. (The current limit, arbitrarily introduced recently, is 100...)

★3 Fix the option in settings for "replies always to be sent from the address the mail was sent to", so that it works even if the address hasn't been set up as a sending identity.

★4 Facility to specify a default 'from' address for each contact. (See http://www.emaildiscussions.com/showthread.php?t=73105 )

★5 To ease GDPR paranoia, provide a function to strip all e-mail addresses from the body of a text automatically, perhaps optionally replacing them with contact names.

★6 In all views, always show us both who mail is _to_ as well as who it is _from_ !

★7 A simple way to download mail in bulk to any device for back-up or archiving, without having to install a mail client or any other software on the device...

★8 ...and, crucially, an equally simple way to reverse the process and upload mail in bulk _from_ a device without having to install software.

★9 A small button by each folder, to simplify moving or copying mails or files between folders. (I really miss those [<<] buttons in the 'classic' interface).

★10 A function to detach multiple attached mails into the parent folder. (Another feature of 'classic' that I miss.)

[hadaso]

Originally Posted by Grhm

★6 In all views, always show us both who mail is _to_ as well as who it is _from_ !

If you want to know (when reading a message) who mail is really to or from then you can add the extra headers X-Delivered-To and X-Mail-from in the advanced section of the preferences screen (perhaps also Return-Path).


I also include Reply-to so as not to be surprised, and X-LinkName for those old accounts I still POP (like my ISP email account and my 20 year old Hotmail account). I also have Size displayed so I can sometimes decide to immediately delete huge attachments.

[JeremyNicoll]

Originally Posted by Terry

Over 85% of the Fastmail users are living in the US...

How do you know? Where do FM publish statistics on their users?

Originally Posted by Terry

What country would you suggest would be more ethical?

I was wondering the same...

[JeremyNicoll]

Originally Posted by Grhm

★7 A simple way to download mail in bulk to any device for back-up or archiving, without having to install a mail client or any other software on the device...

You don't need a mail client now. You end up with a .zip of the mails concerned, though obviously your arbitrary device has to be able to unpack a zip and be able to deal with the files within it.

I think the main problem is that the way one initiates this is very unintuitive. I think the Settings -> Folders screen should have another button at the top, labelled Export... and it should act on whichever of the listed folders underneath one has ticked. (Right now, one has to use the link at the foot of the screen, labelled "Mass delete or remove duplicates", and then be very careful what one chooses on the next screen.)

[hadaso]

Originally Posted by JeremyNicoll

...I think the main problem is that the way one initiates this is very unintuitive...

I think the main problem with it is that it's one way. Perhaps I have to work hard in an unintuitive way to download, and I would do it if I had a reasonable way to upload back to some folder, not necessarily the same place, but right now I don't do it because erasing what I downloaded leaves me with no simple way to undo it in the future without having to get additional software and learn how to use it.

[hadaso]

Originally Posted by Terry

...What country would you suggest would be more ethical?

Considering the past century or two it seems we would have to look for one in a galaxy far far away ...

[JeremyNicoll]

Originally Posted by hadaso

I think the main problem with it is that it's one way. Perhaps I have to work hard in an unintuitive way to download, and I would do it if I had a reasonable way to upload back to some folder, not necessarily the same place, but right now I don't do it because erasing what I downloaded leaves me with no simple way to undo it in the future without having to get additional software and learn how to use it.

Ok, yes, one-way is an issue, but I think that's more because the present situation is FM only support import from online services, not eg mails that until now someone has chosen to hold locally on their device.

But, download doesn't imply erasing mail. The 'download' and 'delete' options are separate.

[Terry]

[quote=JeremyNicoll;612068]How do you know? Where do FM publish statistics on their users?


Some info here https://hypestat.com/info/fastmail.com but not all of it.

[BritTim]

Originally Posted by hadaso

I think the main problem with it is that it's one way. Perhaps I have to work hard in an unintuitive way to download, and I would do it if I had a reasonable way to upload back to some folder, not necessarily the same place, but right now I don't do it because erasing what I downloaded leaves me with no simple way to undo it in the future without having to get additional software and learn how to use it.

Personally, I only download and delete email that I am very unlikely to want to refer to in the future. The archived copy is just insurance. I accept that, if I ever want to restore the messages to FastMail or elsewhere, this is going to involve some effort.

Clearly, if you envisage periodically restoring your archived emails, you would prefer something easier.

[JeremyNicoll]

[quote=Terry;612075]

Originally Posted by JeremyNicoll

How do you know? Where do FM publish statistics on their users?


Some info here https://hypestat.com/info/fastmail.com but not all of it.

Lots of info at that URL, yes, but which bit do you think supports your assertion?