Request for Descending Sort Order inside Threads and the Message Pane

[bulaohu]

Why this is needed:
Currently, even when the folder's sort order is set to Descending, the expanded threads (sub-topics) and the Message Pane previews are forced to display in Ascending order (oldest to newest).
In almost all software interfaces, windows, tabs, and toolbars are located at the top of the screen, meaning the human eye naturally and subconsciously focuses on the top first. Under the current forced ascending layout, when a thread contains a large volume of messages (e.g., more than 10 to 20 replies), users are forced to look at the bottom for the newest message, glance back to the top for context, and move back down again. This constant back-and-forth scanning severely impacts work efficiency and causes significant eye strain over time.
Conclusion:
We highly recommend that Thunderbird allows the Descending sort order to be strictly respected and applied globally—not just for the top-level topics, but consistently within expanded threads and the Message Pane as well.

[Jon]

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

[siffemcon]

Fixing thread sorting changes require a new database which is a multiyear project and is still about another year away. Meanwhile, there are a couple of add-ons to consider:

Thunderbird Conversations (https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/gmail-conversation-view/)

TN Thread Order (https://github.com/thiagonaalmeida/tn-thread-order)