Thunderbird Supernova 115 : TAGS or FOLDERS, we may have to choose.

[j-p_FF]

DISPLAYING TAGS in the FOLDER PANE

I comprehend that some users may find this option useful.
But it is not the case for me because:
- the tags list reduces the folder pane space for folders;
- one can display the list of tagged emails by search (Ctrl+F) with the clause "Tags" (one can choose several categories by mentioning several clauses).
Admittedly, it is not a quick method but amputating folders display is unacceptable for me.
I have a lot of folders organized in a hierarchical way and they receive messages according to filters for the most part.

The announcement, in a promotion page of Supernova, that "you can also use this menu to hide Local Folders" * is totally surreal in my opinion.
An email agent must provide the capability to dispatch messages in a hierarchical tree of folders.

"Tags" (or "labels" as in Gmail) can replace "folders" on the double condition that the number of tags is unlimited and that one can organize them in a hierarchical tree.
If this double condition is fulfilled it is even better because a single message can get several tags or labels, then be present in different locations in the tree.
If this double condition is not fulfilled then Tags are only a complement that must not amputate the folders tree display (depending on the number of folders you have and how big is your monitor).

So, displaying current Tags in the Folders pane can only be useful to the people who have created only a few folders or have a huge screen.

J-P

* https://blog.thunderbird.net/2023/08/make-thunderbird-yours-how-to-get-the-thunderbird-115-supernova...

[wsmwk]

Is your idea that tag folders should be offered in a location other than folder pane?  And if so, do you have a suggestion of where to place it?  

[lince]

Hello wsmwk,

Let me bring my view on the thing which is my own usage based on the label from Gmail and I cannot replicate currently in thunderbird.

By definition a tag is a metadata, different from a folder in such that a mail can be tagged by multiple tag while a mail can only be in 1 folder.

I can usually get 2 or 3 tag per mail, 1 tag for an auto delete process that manage the rentention of the email categorised, ex: promotion (3mo retention max after that auto delete).

I also have rules for visually see the mail by color.

Currently what is missing from what i see is:

* A method to display mail tagged as a category (similar to a folder) in the left panel

* A way to order tag and in rule select the application order... Example at the moment the color applied is the one from the first matching tag from global creation order, while logically it should be the last tag in the filter rule that should control the color.

* Rules to do actions on the mails tagged at a custom interval (in place of the harcoded 10m): once per day when the app is open or other

That's all i see at the moment.

[wsmwk]

@j-p_FF You haven't replied to my sincere question "Is your idea that tag folders should be offered in a location other than folder pane?  And if so, do you have a suggestion of where to place it?"

Anyway, as I understand it, your concerns should not be an issue in newer versions:

1) tags Folder Mode can be deselected, and therefore not displayed

2) tags can be displayed at the bottom, and therefore not displace and take space from folder modes which appear above it.