Sent Items folder issues

robbie · 25 Sep 2002, 04:53 AM

I use a personality that saves its sent items to a folder other than "sent items". This is because I want the messages I send from this personality to be seperate from my other personalities. When I access the folder to which I am saving these messages, i see the fields "Att", "Size", "Received", "From", and "Subject". These fields work well for organizing incoming mail, but are not practical for organizing sent mail. Is there a way to change which fields I see in different folders? I would specifically like to be able to replace "Received" and "From" with "Sent" and "To". If this isn't an already available feature, would others get some use out of it if it were to be added? I hope I'm not overlooking any obvious solutions. If this issue has been addressed in another thread, could someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

Robbie

DippyTwitty · 25 Sep 2002, 09:19 AM

Along the same theme, would be a 'Resend' capability - I sometimes have to re-send an email if there was some problem with the recipients email system.

I'm pretty sure that messages are stamped (in the header?) differently after they have been sent, because somehow the Drafts folder knows whether a message has been sent: In an attempt at re-sending a message, I figured I'd try just copying the message to 'Drafts' and opening it, hoping it would have a 'Send' button.... but it didn't.

Presumably, then, fastmail *could* draw up the fields (as Robbie suggested) differently and add a 'Resend' button for those messages that are 'Sent' messages. Am I right?

Dip

robmueller · 25 Sep 2002, 10:54 AM

I guess we need some way to mark the folder as a 'Sent Items' folder, so that we show the To field instead of From field. At the moment, this is handled specially for the 'Sent Items' folder only.

With regard to Resend, I guess that wouldn't be too hard to do. It's really just like Reply/Forward in many respects, but use all the original emails parameters.

Rob

ady · 25 Sep 2002, 12:04 PM

How about assuming every subfolder of 'Sent Items' as 'Sent Items' folder? Everybody has to create their 'Sent Item' folders as the subfolder of the 'Sent Items'.

Confusing enough?

ady

dazmeister · 25 Sep 2002, 12:41 PM

One suggestion could be to mimic Mulberrry's smart address functionality so that all folders can correctly discriminate between sent and recieved mail.

Mulberry will display in the message list either the "From:" address, if the message was sent by someone other than you, or
the "To:/Cc:" address, if the message was sent by you.

FastMail would need to check all the adddresses in the personalities for a match I would think, or the aliases.

Maybe not good for a web interface tho as this would involve parsing the address fields of each message (server side & slow)when generating a large folder view of messages....

I guess specifying an option to mark a folder for sent mail would be the easiest, if smart addressing is unfeasible.

marc1 · 6 Dec 2002, 03:12 PM

Any follow up from FastMail staff on this?

I created a second sent items folder but it is somewhat useless because it does not show the "To" field (you can't see who the message was sent to without opening it up). Is there a way we can designate a folder as a "Sent Items" folder so the "To" field will be listed?

SanjaySheth · 12 Dec 2002, 10:31 AM

How abut just adding a flag on the message that indicates it is a sent message not received? Then italics or other distinguisher could be used to distinguish sent messages from normal messages when they are all in the same folder.

JeremyF · 12 Dec 2002, 12:12 PM

Just wanted to echo the request for flagging other folders as "sent folders" - I use about 5 sent folders, but again, they all show "From:" (and therefore my name in every cell in the column) so it's sort of useless.. This would be a very high priority upgrade for me.

Jeremy

robmueller · 12 Dec 2002, 12:26 PM

It's a problem. I don't want to add more hacks until we've got a more comprehensive solution which will be customisable mailbox layouts. You'll just have to live with the annoyance for now sorry.

Rob

JeremyF · 12 Dec 2002, 12:35 PM

Rob -

Fair enough, but could you give us some sort of an expected time of arrival for these changes?

Jeremy

eva · 8 May 2003, 04:47 AM

Hello,

I communicate socially with people using various aliases
and would like to be able to see "which alias i sent from"
and "who i sent to" at the same time.

In other words; customization of columns shown, as per
MS Outlook.

Right now i have to move all the messages from folder to
folder to see the proper columns. This can't be good for
system performance if others are doing the same.

Anyone else run into these issues?

-eva

reuben · 6 Jun 2003, 11:13 PM

hey. i logged onto the discussion forum for the first time in like 6 months, specifically to post a similar request. it seems that this idea has been floating around for quite a while 9 months maybe?, and i'd like to know about the status of this?

it would be really great to hear something?

reuben · 18 Jun 2003, 03:35 AM

not getting much response, been a week or two (6 months or two)
am i missing another thread somewhere? if so anyone care to direct me to it?

thanks

JeremyF · 18 Jun 2003, 04:55 AM

Reuben -

I don't think you're missing another thread... I've also been waiting on this. Strangely, this is the one request that FastMail users have that seems to get fallen on deaf ears regularly...

Jeremy

aussieboykie · 18 Jun 2003, 07:31 AM

It's frustrating to know that features such as this are on the "to do" list without any idea of how long it will be before they make it into the product. However, the preamble to the FAQ section on Coming Enhancements is very clear...

Quote:

The features listed below are planned enhancements to the service, although there are no specific deadlines for them. We will not release any new feature until it is complete, tested, and reliable; promising a particular deadline is incompatible with this philosophy.

and despite the frustration I have to concede that this is the only viable way for a professional service to behave.

An official Beta testing program for those who are prepared to try out new code and live with the associated risks would be a nice diversion while we are waiting. [hint, hint!]

Regards, AB

25 Sep 2002, 04:53 AM	#1
robbie Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 28	Sent Items folder issues I use a personality that saves its sent items to a folder other than "sent items". This is because I want the messages I send from this personality to be seperate from my other personalities. When I access the folder to which I am saving these messages, i see the fields "Att", "Size", "Received", "From", and "Subject". These fields work well for organizing incoming mail, but are not practical for organizing sent mail. Is there a way to change which fields I see in different folders? I would specifically like to be able to replace "Received" and "From" with "Sent" and "To". If this isn't an already available feature, would others get some use out of it if it were to be added? I hope I'm not overlooking any obvious solutions. If this issue has been addressed in another thread, could someone point me in the right direction? Thanks, Robbie

25 Sep 2002, 09:19 AM	#2
DippyTwitty Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 107	Excellent suggestion Along the same theme, would be a 'Resend' capability - I sometimes have to re-send an email if there was some problem with the recipients email system. I'm pretty sure that messages are stamped (in the header?) differently after they have been sent, because somehow the Drafts folder knows whether a message has been sent: In an attempt at re-sending a message, I figured I'd try just copying the message to 'Drafts' and opening it, hoping it would have a 'Send' button.... but it didn't. Presumably, then, fastmail could draw up the fields (as Robbie suggested) differently and add a 'Resend' button for those messages that are 'Sent' messages. Am I right? Dip

6 Dec 2002, 03:12 PM	#6
marc1 Essential Contributor Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 342	Any follow up from FastMail staff on this? I created a second sent items folder but it is somewhat useless because it does not show the "To" field (you can't see who the message was sent to without opening it up). Is there a way we can designate a folder as a "Sent Items" folder so the "To" field will be listed? Last edited by marc1 : 12 Dec 2002 at 10:54 AM.

8 May 2003, 04:47 AM	#11
eva Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Fairfax, Va, USA Posts: 16	See From and To Columns at Once Hello, I communicate socially with people using various aliases and would like to be able to see "which alias i sent from" and "who i sent to" at the same time. In other words; customization of columns shown, as per MS Outlook. Right now i have to move all the messages from folder to folder to see the proper columns. This can't be good for system performance if others are doing the same. Anyone else run into these issues? -eva

6 Jun 2003, 11:13 PM	#12
reuben Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 240	?? hey. i logged onto the discussion forum for the first time in like 6 months, specifically to post a similar request. it seems that this idea has been floating around for quite a while 9 months maybe?, and i'd like to know about the status of this? it would be really great to hear something?

25 Sep 2002, 10:54 AM	#3
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	I guess we need some way to mark the folder as a 'Sent Items' folder, so that we show the To field instead of From field. At the moment, this is handled specially for the 'Sent Items' folder only. With regard to Resend, I guess that wouldn't be too hard to do. It's really just like Reply/Forward in many respects, but use all the original emails parameters. Rob

25 Sep 2002, 12:04 PM	#4
ady Essential Contributor Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 482	How about assuming every subfolder of 'Sent Items' as 'Sent Items' folder? Everybody has to create their 'Sent Item' folders as the subfolder of the 'Sent Items'. Confusing enough? ady

25 Sep 2002, 12:41 PM	#5
dazmeister Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 32	One suggestion could be to mimic Mulberrry's smart address functionality so that all folders can correctly discriminate between sent and recieved mail. Mulberry will display in the message list either the "From:" address, if the message was sent by someone other than you, or the "To:/Cc:" address, if the message was sent by you. FastMail would need to check all the adddresses in the personalities for a match I would think, or the aliases. Maybe not good for a web interface tho as this would involve parsing the address fields of each message (server side & slow)when generating a large folder view of messages.... I guess specifying an option to mark a folder for sent mail would be the easiest, if smart addressing is unfeasible.

12 Dec 2002, 10:31 AM	#7
SanjaySheth Master of the @ Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,079	How abut just adding a flag on the message that indicates it is a sent message not received? Then italics or other distinguisher could be used to distinguish sent messages from normal messages when they are all in the same folder.

12 Dec 2002, 12:12 PM	#8
JeremyF Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 217	Just wanted to echo the request for flagging other folders as "sent folders" - I use about 5 sent folders, but again, they all show "From:" (and therefore my name in every cell in the column) so it's sort of useless.. This would be a very high priority upgrade for me. Jeremy

12 Dec 2002, 12:26 PM	#9
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	It's a problem. I don't want to add more hacks until we've got a more comprehensive solution which will be customisable mailbox layouts. You'll just have to live with the annoyance for now sorry. Rob

12 Dec 2002, 12:35 PM	#10
JeremyF Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 217	Rob - Fair enough, but could you give us some sort of an expected time of arrival for these changes? Jeremy

18 Jun 2003, 03:35 AM	#13
reuben Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 240	still waiting not getting much response, been a week or two (6 months or two) am i missing another thread somewhere? if so anyone care to direct me to it? thanks

18 Jun 2003, 04:55 AM	#14
JeremyF Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 217	Reuben - I don't think you're missing another thread... I've also been waiting on this. Strangely, this is the one request that FastMail users have that seems to get fallen on deaf ears regularly... Jeremy