How can I assign a chain/thread to a folder?
I have a dozen or so folders, each with subfolders. After reading a message in my inbox, I'll move it to a folder. In thunderbird, all responses to that thread appear in my inbox and not the folder I moved the parent message(s) to. It's becoming difficult remembering where each conversation is stored and having to move each reply to it's appropriate folder.
I've resorted to creating filters by subject, but having to do this for each and every email is very cumborsome.
How can I just say: This email chain belongs in this folder?
Krejt Përgjigjet (3)
I'd say your filing system isn't working for you. If it's not obvious where a message should be filed, then I'd think you're going to have trouble finding messages later on.
Ironically, delaying the move might help. Replies will automatically attach to the original messages, if you use threaded view and all your correspondents' email clients play nicely. Moving a cluster of connected messages might be more efficient than dealing with them piecemeal. But perhaps you're over analysing; fewer subdivisions might work better for you.
My own workflow is to read new messages in the inbox, and then file them, or deal with them then file them. If I'm having to address a concern raised by an email message, I'll be pretty focused and so know where to file it. I use automatic filing (via filters) only for unimportant messages that really don't need my attention nor any response from me. If they go unread, shucks.
I am able to categorise my work email by project. I generally don't need to consider finer grading into subdivisions. But if I did, I'd be looking for case numbers or account numbers as a way to correlate different parts of a conversation.
I certainly wouldn't try, as a general approach, to file by subject. It works for repeating and predictable topics, but is too hard to make work in the general case.
If you can't see a way to break away from using filters, then tools to help build them might be of interest. The QuickFilters addon offers a drag-and-drop interface to help construct them, but I don't think it will help with your fundamental issue of deciding where to put things.
Thank you for your insight, Zenos!
I agree filtering by subject is unwanted. It's a workaround I have for now. I would really like to avoid filtering chains at all.
I have folders for each project/product, then subfolders for features and regions, then possibly region specific features.
Chains can last for weeks and I'd prefer to only have "new" conversations in my inbox.
It would be ideal if I could open thunderbird in the morning and be able to see responses to past/active chains in the folders I put them in before and new, uncategorized mail in my inbox.
I'll have a look at QuickFilters, thank you. I presume it is due to be considered a legacy extension soon.
beanaroo said
I'll have a look at QuickFilters, thank you. I presume it is due to be considered a legacy extension soon.
At this time Thunderbird is NOT following Firefox down the road of web extensions. It really does not make sense for a mail client to reduce the add-ons access to the local machine. To this end, Thunderbird will be leaving add-ons.mozilla.org and moving to add-ons.thunderbird.net. The skeleton of the new add-on repository is up, but it is still in a testing phase.
That is not to say the next release will not have issues with add-ons. The javascript compiler has seen changes and almost every add-on will need a tweak to get it going again.
Try right clicking on your new message and selecting open in conversation. on the far right of the tab that opens the folder each message in the conversion is in is shown (or at least on mine it is). Might make working out where you put stuff just a little bit easier.