Re: [Evolution] How to (not) move mail!?

[Pete Biggs <pete biggs org uk>]

On Tue, 2007-08-28 at 10:53 +1200, Morgan Read wrote: 
> On Fri, 2007-08-24 at 08:42 +0100, Pete Biggs wrote:
> > > How do I move mail?  The move mail function doesn't seem to work!?
> >
> > IMAP doesn't have a move mail function - it is implemented on most
> Err, it's POP, now what?

POP doesn't even know about anything other than the 'INBOX', so 'move'
is meaningless.  What you are really talking about then is working with
local folders and mailboxes.

> ...
> > of moving a message was to purge the whole mail box (I know lots of
> > people who use their deleted mail as an archive system!).  
> That's just what I'm trying to do

Well why don't you use an archival system rather than mucking around
with deleted mail?  I've never understood the mindset that leads to
"I've pressed delete, but I actually still want to keep it" - if that's
the case, don't delete it.

> - moving mail out of Trash into an
> archive doesn't seem to work, 

Why don't you just set up a message filter with a search criteria of
'Match All' and an action of 'Copy to Folder'.  Then you will have a
copy of every email you ever receive and you can delete and purge to
your hearts content without having to worry about trash folders.

> because (as I've laboriously discovered)
> Trash isn't actually a folder but a search on other folders for deleted
> mail - surely it makes more sense to file it under "Search Folders"
> then...

It was originally - but then lots of people grouched that they couldn't
find the trash folder so it got moved to be amongst the normal folders.
Also, I know you don't use IMAP, but there is a Trash folder for each
individual IMAP account, and that would be confusing if they were all in
'Search Folders'.

>   So, I'm trying to moving the (un-hidden) deleted mail from
> folders to an archive folder - except they're not moved; they're copied!

 - and then deleted - same effect as moving.  In fact, I can't think of
an instance within mail handling where a 'move' isn't implemented as
'copy and delete' - it's just so much safer.  What you are really
grouching about is the fact that the messages are marked as deleted
rather than being removed from existence when the messages are 'moved'.

What I'm actually surprised about is that you haven't complained about
the messages being duplicated in the 'Trash' folder when you move them -
since when you move a deleted mail to another folder, the copy is still
marked as deleted, hence both the original (now twice deleted) and the
copy (still marked as deleted) mails will both appear in the Trash
folder.

> I'm sure I'm not the first to say it (and like others I'll no doubt stop
> once I've got my head round it) but, this is very very
> counter-intuitive.
>
> Any pointers much appreciated.

It's a Feature not a Bug.

P.