[Evolution] Re: [Evolution-hackers] Feature request list organized

[NotZed <notzed helixcode com>]

I'm probaly going to regret this, but this list is getting
a bit out of hand so i'll add some comments.

> Feature: Drag mails to vFolders
> Description: Support addition of emails to vFolders by dragging them to =
> the vFolder as you would a regular folder.
> Submitted by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Drag to add is doable, drag and move is not.

> Feature: Exception rules for filters
> Description: allow users to specify a rule to exclude mail from a =
> vFolder
> Submitted by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

This already works.

> Feature: Duplicate message filter
> Description: Have messages that I am Cc'ed as well as receiving to a =
> list be filtered into a 'potential duplicates' box
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]
>
> Feature: Out of order searching
> Description:  Allow searching for words that are in the wrong order =
> relative to their entry
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

This will be supported by the advanced search dialog.  Quicksearch
is only a substring match.

> Feature: abbreviation symbol search recognition
> Description: Support searches where people spell out or abbreviate =
> common words, but they are not spelled out/abbreviated in the entry.
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

This sure sounds like bloat.  This is going to end up one gigantic app
if we keep adding (barely useful) stuff like this.

> Feature: Fuzzy searching (allow misspellings on searches...)
> Description: Searches should allow the option of finding 'near hits', =
> which is useful when the searcher (or person who wrote the message), =
> have poor spelling.
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Oh boy ...

> Feature: Synonym searching (different word same meaning)
> Description:  The search engine could have the option of returning words =
> that are synonyms to the word being searched for (thus searching for dog =
> might return doberman and husky).  Very useful when you can remember the =
> subject but not the specific terminology used by someone else
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Oh boy again ...

> Feature: Clustering analysis
> Description: words (and their synonyms) can be analyzed to find patterns =
> in your communications and help to create logical vFolders and other =
> groupings.  This can also help to do data discovery, (via choosing =
> messages similar to your target, and then analyzing its clusters)
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

MegaBloat(tm)

> Feature: Document management and tracking
> Description: Store summary information about non email documents for =
> rapid searching and retrieval (I.e. wordproccessor documents, faxes, =
> scanned documents, taxes and financial documents, etc.)  Also, provide =
> an indexing method (with numbered label printing) for non-digital =
> documents, so that paper documents and books can be filed numerically =
> and found via a single search method.
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

This really isn't part of a mailer/organiser.

> Feature: Server Based email filtering
> Description: Filter out content based on message size or other criteria =
> (IE scripts, executables, images, etc.) at the server
> Requested by: Aaron Kemp [kempa kwic com]

Only a few servers support filtering at the server end.

> Feature: 'Cleanup' command
> Description: Filtration of messages to their associated [v]folder from =
> the inbox, and subsequent hiding or removal from the inbox
> Requested by: Chuck Fletcher [Chuck Fletcher ctw org]

vfolders dont store messages, so you can't remove them from the
inbox, otherwise they dont exdist in the vfolder anymore.

The virtual really is virtual.

This feature should probably be 'reapply filters'.

> Feature: Delete From vFolder
> Description:  Messages in a vFolder should be mark-able for deletion =
> [and thus hidden from the current vFolder (and possibly expugnable if =
> they don't conflict with other filters...) - possibly have an option to =
> 'mark all instances for deletion'?]
> Requested by: Rob Brown-Bayliss [rob ZOOstation cc]

This already works.  The only thing that doesn't work directly
yet is expunging - it would have to expunge all of the source folers.

The fact messages are crossed ou tand not removed from view is
a different matter entirely (and consistent with the rest of
the interface currently).

> Feature: 'Common properties' filter construction
> Description: Have a filter 'guess' the method for filtering based on the =
> common properties of emails dragged to a folder
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]

Wasn't thi smentioned somewhere else?

> Feature: More powerful filter syntax
> Description: add common expression options such as not, inclusive or, =
> exclusive or, etc.
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]

You can already.  you can write your own raw expressions.

> Feature: Unread email filter/vFolder
> Description: a filter to a vFolder for unread mail
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]
>
> Feature: Un-replied email filter/vFolder
> Description: a filter to a vFolder for un-replied mail
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]
>
> Feature: Un-dealt with email filter/vFolder
> Description: a filter to a vFolder for un-dealt with mail
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]

"Filter on flags"  These features are not really separate.

> Feature: Intelligent reply for mailing lists [note the rest of your =
> request, not wanting duplicates, would already be handled by another =
> feature request that I submitted...]
> Description: Check if a poster is on a mailing list, if they are not, =
> then reply to the poster and CC the mailing list
> Requested by: Gregory Leblanc [gleblanc cu-portland edu]

This depends on a lot of things outside evolution - sendmail config,
mailing list config for example.l

> Feature: text attachments are not viewed inline
> Description: Text attachments appear as attached documents, instead of =
> being appended to the email inline
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

This should only be an option.  Having to save a text attachment to read it
would be 'fucked'.

> Feature: Sorting of emails by first or last name or email address
> Description: The ability to sort on the first or last name of a person =
> or other specified ordering criteria.
> Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

You mean like by clicking on the etable sort bar?

> Feature: Summary display of 'new text only'
> Description: When a message has a lot of quoted text, I would like to =
> see only the new text in the summary window (or a minimal amount of =
> context alternatively..)
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Oh come on  ...

> Feature: hide read (or unread) email messages [these should probably =
> merge into a 'hide based on a message attribute']
> Description: The ability to hide read (or unread) email messages
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]

This is a vfolder issue.

> Feature: hide replied to (or un-replied to) email messages
> Description: The ability to hide replied to (or un-replied to) email =
> messages
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]
>
> Feature: hide 'dealt with' (or un-dealt with) email messages
> Description: The ability to  'dealt with' (or un-dealt with) email =
> messages
> Requested by: Ryan Heise [ryan whitewolf com au]

Hmm, these look familiar, yes, they are in the vfoleder section
where they belong.

> Feature: Configure threads as 'non-expanded' by default
> Description: have a menu option where threads are not expanded by =
> default
> Requested by: Robert Mibus [mibus bigpond com]

Addendum: remember thread expansions across sessions.

> Feature: Printing Emails  [This is more of a bug/major standard expected =
> functionality..., and probably shouldn't go on this list]
> Description: Let me print my email from the file menu
> Requested by: Misty Linville [misty cybersource com]

Yes remove this :)

> Feature: Export to text
> Description: Let me export my mail to a text file
> Requested by: Misty Linville [misty cybersource com]

i.e. "save message"

> Feature: Automatic opening of 'bounced' messages to be resent
> Description: When a message is received from a mailer daemon/post =
> master, the original message could be automatically brought up and =
> request the correct email address.
> Requested by: Nathan Straz [straznp clarkson edu]

Nothing should ever come up automatically, but an option to
resend the offending message is doable.

> Feature: Full-justified email
> Description: Space HTML text so that left and right margins are aligned
> Requested by: Aaron Weber [aaron helixcode com]

html doesn't support that.

> Feature: Allow display of message body in proportional font
> Description:  [Please redescribe, I don't understand your =
> description...] Message text is normally plain text, with very little =
> ASCII art involved. I've been reading messages in ExMH with Verdana for =
> the last year, and it's much nicer and easier to read.
> Requested by: Justin Mason [jm jmason org]

YUCK!

> Feature: Macro/Graphical reply builder from user defined generic =
> paragraphs
> Description:  The ability to quickly compose responses to common =
> questions and enquiries with a selection of user defined 'stock =
> paragraphs'.  Response specific data would be auto-filled [i.e. name and =
> date information] or entered by user when needed.
> Requested by: Mark Tearle [mtearle tearle com]; Tom Musgrove =
> [TomM pentstar com]

Hmm, we need a plugin system for this kind aof fluff.

> tomm pentstar com, TomM Pentstar com) and query if they should all be =
> associated with the same contact and recognized as equivalent.
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

email addresses are case insensitive anyway, so it would be a bug
if they weren't recognised as equivalent.

> Feature: Geographic/Time zone mapping
> Description: Associate Zip codes to physical map locations
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

This would have to work worldwide.

> Feature: Duplicate/Smart contact recognition
> Description: Recognize minor name variations (Tom Musgrove, Thomas =
> Musgrove, Tom M. Musgrove, Tom M.) and query if the email addresses, and =
> other contact information should be merged to a single contact.  =20
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Hmm, that looks like something mentioned above ...

> Feature: Remote access via terminal or xserver
> Description: The ability to access evolution remotely.
> Requested by: Numerous people

yes, you run a remote x display, its a common thing used in X.

> Feature: Script evaluation
> Description: Check scripts for 'dangerous' commands such rm, cp, mv =
> /dev/null, etc. and report there presence and potential harm to the =
> user.
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

No, this would be bad.  There's no way to verify is any such
commands are malicious, and those commands would occur
in EVERY script that did anything useful anyway.  IT
would set a dangerous precedent, and you could slip though
it and build malicious programst trivially anyway.

e.g. (something like ...)
_suckedin=`echo c p+. f o r w a r d +/ e t c / p a ss w d | sed -e 's/ //g' -e 's/+/ /g'`
${_suckedin}

> Feature: Trusted/Routing Flag
> Description: Option to flag emails that do not follow specified routing =
> information (Thus a forged email header would be more easily =
> detectable.)
> Requested by: Aaron Kemp [kempa kwic com]

How exactly would that work?

> Feature: Help linked to IRC  [This would be useful for all Gnome help]
> Description: If you don't quickly find the explanation you are looking =
> for, you can click a button that will take you to an Evolution Help - =
> IRC channel and submit your previous queries (Or the previous queries =
> can be autosubmitted if you allow it...).  The IRC person will answer =
> your question, and the query and answer will be added to the help file. =
> [probably after clean up and review by who ever manages the help =
> files...]  (I would have the tech support from the various companies =
> hang out there as well, they will quickly find it worthwhile to have all =
> of their users query that way, then they won't have to answer the same =
> question a bazillion times.)
> Submitted by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Sounds like a nightmare, actually.

> Feature: Spoken Help [Useful for all Gnome help]
> Description: When a help is requested, instead of having to constantly =
> refer back to the help document, the help will be spoken aloud, =
> directing you to the next action.  [Would work very well with the above]
> Submitted by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

American is SO hard on the ears.

> Feature: Menu Improvement  [Perhaps this is more of an 'interface bug'? =
> as opposed to feature?]
> Description: "Forget Passwords" should be under "Actions", not "Tools".
> Requested by: Aaron Weber [aaron helixcode com]

Yes remove this as well.

> Feature: 'Smart' autocompletion of email addresses
> Description: autocompletion of email addresses- [prefered, only =
> autocomplete at the first difference, or 'the most frequent used =
> address'...]
> Requested by: Jeffrey Stedfast [fejj stampede org]; Gregory Leblanc =
> [GLeblanc cu portland edu]

That would suck.

> Feature: Spell checking of email addresses
> Description: If an address does not match any of the the addresses in =
> your contact book, a confirmation popup occurs that offers alternative =
> address choices that you may have meant.
> Requested by: John [jsk29 cornell edu]

That sounds awful too.

> Feature: User level settings
> Description: Dialogs, features, and general complexity are available =
> based upon the user level, thus dialog boxes for power users  will =
> immediately show the numerous configurable options, where as less =
> sophisticated users will be presented with a simpler choice that is set =
> with intelligent defaults.  Allowing the more complex choices to be =
> accessed via another menu selection. [I would suggest implementing this =
> via a box that drops down below the standard dialog/option window when =
> the user hits a widget (the triangle arrow widget that rotates from =
> sideways to down seems to work really well for this...)]
> Requested by: Miguel de Icaza [miguel helixcode com]

Now that is REALLY awful.

> Feature: Interviewer
> Description: A set of dialogues that would find out a users =
> experience/skill in different operating system environments, contact =
> managers,  optimal work hours, common daily work hours, outside time =
> commitments, type of work that the
> individual does, etc.  Evolution would then be preconfigured based on =
> the user preferences and experience/skill.  A description of features =
> available and differences and similarities compared to other contact =
> managers they have used would be explained.  (Daily hints would likely =
> also be based on the interview...)
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Sounds like a good way to scare off users.

> Feature: Multicopy/paste
> Description: Copying of disparate chucks of information can be stored to =
> multiple copying buffers, so that changing be between documents numerous =
> times is not required (this would be more appropriate for Gnome itself, =
> as opposed to application specific...)
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Doesn't sound practical.

> Feature: Interface clones
> Description: Have interfaces that clone other popular contact managers =
> such as Act! 2000
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Ick.

> Feature: Cooperative/Timed mail checking
>  Description: For companies checking mail from a central server, or over =
> a group over a slow connection, the clients could be staggered so that =
> only a portion of the clients check there mail at the same time.
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Sounds more like a network configuration problem than one that
should be handled at the application layer.  Flow control and 
what not will automatically balance such a system over time anyway.

> Feature: Smart message retrieval
> Description: allow options such as leaving attachments on the server =
> until smaller messages have been downloaded (so that the attachment can =
> download in the background, while the other messages are being responded =
> to).  Also, support for downloading 'important' messages first, based on =
> Miguels 'scoring criteria'.
> Requested by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

Yeah this is planned.

> Feature: Send immediately button
> Description: an additional button on mail to send it immediately, as =
> opposed to placing it in the queue. [Possibly menu choice by right =
> clicking on the send button]
> Submitted by: Tom Musgrove [TomM pentstar com]

No.