An addition to memail: combined view May 26, 2009 9:38 PM Subscribe
I would like to have a view that combines inbox and sent mail. This would be useful to provide a pseudo-threaded view of memail conversations. Thank you for your consideration.
MetaChatter would be perfectly easy to implement. It's just MeFi, but without the links, or where links are optional.
I have ideas for how it could be made usable. The problem is one of making it easy to filter in what one certainly wants to see, show an outline of what one might want to see, and filter out what one is unlikely to want to see.
Bayesian probabilities + multifield tagging + trust networks.
posted by five fresh fish at 11:58 PM on May 26, 2009
I have ideas for how it could be made usable. The problem is one of making it easy to filter in what one certainly wants to see, show an outline of what one might want to see, and filter out what one is unlikely to want to see.
Bayesian probabilities + multifield tagging + trust networks.
posted by five fresh fish at 11:58 PM on May 26, 2009
+ Miracle Whip
posted by ryanrs at 12:07 AM on May 27, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 12:07 AM on May 27, 2009 [4 favorites]
If I send a SASE will you deliver a print copy of my MeMail together with the print edition of MetaFilter? I'll include a blank betamax tape for the youtube posts too. KTHXBYE
posted by qvantamon at 2:01 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by qvantamon at 2:01 AM on May 27, 2009
I'd like POP3 and SMTP access to memail so I could just hook it into my Gmail account and not bother with the MeFi web interface.
posted by flabdablet at 2:48 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by flabdablet at 2:48 AM on May 27, 2009
boo_radley, fwiw, I like to hack my way around that problem by using a technique that I picked up from nickyskye, via memail. She "replied with history" by copy/pasting the box displaying my original message so that it was included in her response. I thought "Huh...neat," and I've tried to do the same with most of my memail responses since.
posted by allkindsoftime at 4:27 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by allkindsoftime at 4:27 AM on May 27, 2009
I think we should replace memail with Personal MetaFilter Butlers (or maybe "Commentor's Gentlemen"?) These would handle all interpersonal interactions as well as participating in flamewars when their principals were indisposed.
posted by DU at 5:31 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by DU at 5:31 AM on May 27, 2009
No, we need to each field our own battle robot that handles all comments and favorites and memail for us.
posted by pracowity at 5:43 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by pracowity at 5:43 AM on May 27, 2009
You know you're a success as a moderator when you don't even have to show up to answer questions.
posted by dg at 5:46 AM on May 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by dg at 5:46 AM on May 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
I'm just imagining this "Commentor's Gentlemen" scenario if it actually existed, especially insofar as flamewarring for their assigned mefite. In my mind they are Jeeves types, who were taught the internet specifically for this job.
/does Wayne's World imagination/flashback hands
DU, do you really think that this idea would be feasible or even good if it were? Maybe you should do a little bit more research before you come spewing silly ideas. I mean, seriously?
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 9:12 AM on May 27 [+] [!]
Yes, well you're a sot.
posted by DU at 9:15 AM on May 27 [+] [!]
/end hypothetical
I think this has great potential.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 5:57 AM on May 27, 2009
/does Wayne's World imagination/flashback hands
DU, do you really think that this idea would be feasible or even good if it were? Maybe you should do a little bit more research before you come spewing silly ideas. I mean, seriously?
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 9:12 AM on May 27 [+] [!]
Yes, well you're a sot.
posted by DU at 9:15 AM on May 27 [+] [!]
/end hypothetical
I think this has great potential.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 5:57 AM on May 27, 2009
Also, they would have to wear bowler hats and tuxedos while typing. And coolly sipping tea before delicately picking out a withering reply.
If I had my own Commentor's Gentleman I'd just stick him somewhere with internet access, but the MetaFilter-provided ones would all sit in a big room together, typing at each other on behalf of their masters and mistresses.
posted by DU at 6:08 AM on May 27, 2009
If I had my own Commentor's Gentleman I'd just stick him somewhere with internet access, but the MetaFilter-provided ones would all sit in a big room together, typing at each other on behalf of their masters and mistresses.
posted by DU at 6:08 AM on May 27, 2009
And masters. Apparently, they are bisexuals with some sort of power fetish.
posted by koeselitz at 7:14 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by koeselitz at 7:14 AM on May 27, 2009
There is no WAY I am the first one up today!
Yeah, this is something we are unlikely to do. We'd prefer to have MeMail be a basic messaging system and suggesting that people use real email for anything more than a quick back and forth. I agree, having a few basic functions like maybe search might be useful, but threaded view is something that I don't think is even in our long view for MeMail.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:20 AM on May 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
Yeah, this is something we are unlikely to do. We'd prefer to have MeMail be a basic messaging system and suggesting that people use real email for anything more than a quick back and forth. I agree, having a few basic functions like maybe search might be useful, but threaded view is something that I don't think is even in our long view for MeMail.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:20 AM on May 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
How about listing the person's email address if they have one in the account? Or adding a mailto: link?
posted by empath at 9:14 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by empath at 9:14 AM on May 27, 2009
Well the whole point is that people have the option to have their email in their profile if they want it to be there. We have people's PayPal email addresses which we might use in an emergency but otherwise we pretty much respect people's right to be as contactable as they want. For some people, having MeMail as a buffer from their other email address is how they want to do that. My email is in my profile, for example.
So, if you're MeMailing with someone often enough that you think "hey I'd love to have a threaded view of this conversation" I sort of think it's a good idea to ask them for their actual email address. Unless maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're suggesting....
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:18 AM on May 27, 2009
So, if you're MeMailing with someone often enough that you think "hey I'd love to have a threaded view of this conversation" I sort of think it's a good idea to ask them for their actual email address. Unless maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're suggesting....
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:18 AM on May 27, 2009
no, i mean, if they have an email listed in the profile, just show it on the actual message page -- as in, continue this via email.
posted by empath at 9:44 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by empath at 9:44 AM on May 27, 2009
MeMail should be a honeypot. Insta-ban anyone who sends one.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:09 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by blue_beetle at 10:09 AM on May 27, 2009
It seems as if I either opted out of MeMail or everyone thinks I did. I guess you need more than one to have a "thread".
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:40 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:40 AM on May 27, 2009
You know you're a success as a moderator when you don't even have to show up to answer questions.
posted by dg at 5:46 AM on May 27 [1 favorite +] [!]
It also helps if someone whose username rhymes with yours shows up on your behalf.
posted by davejay at 11:32 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by dg at 5:46 AM on May 27 [1 favorite +] [!]
It also helps if someone whose username rhymes with yours shows up on your behalf.
posted by davejay at 11:32 AM on May 27, 2009
boo_radley: Thank you for your consideration.
You're welcome NEXT!!!
posted by not_on_display at 1:22 PM on May 27, 2009
You're welcome NEXT!!!
posted by not_on_display at 1:22 PM on May 27, 2009
Jessamyn, your reply is a little ambiguous on this point -- what boo_radley is suggesting is much easier than a threaded view, and might be reasonable to do even if a threaded view would be a step too far. I rarely use MeMail and my longest conversation is probably 4 messages, but I've still been confused in situations that would be cleared up by a combined view.
posted by grobstein at 2:20 PM on May 27, 2009
posted by grobstein at 2:20 PM on May 27, 2009
Hmm good point, guess we can run it by pb; I still think adding features is unlikely for pretty much any reason.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:22 PM on May 27, 2009
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:22 PM on May 27, 2009
Yeah, we've made the conscious decision not to move MeFi Mail from its current state. We don't want to encourage people to use it for more than first contact with someone, and we're hoping that the 2nd message sent from MeFi Mail is "hey, here's my email address..."
We don't want to get into a race to duplicate GMail. It's just not what we do well, and there are lots of quirks that people have in the way they want to consume message. But we felt that a drop-dead simple messaging system would help members get in touch with each other. And I think it works for that purpose, and I completely agree that having long conversations in MeFi Mail is a drag compared with email. So we're going to stick with what we have for now unless we find that it's broken for the intended use in its current state.
posted by pb (staff) at 3:07 PM on May 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
We don't want to get into a race to duplicate GMail. It's just not what we do well, and there are lots of quirks that people have in the way they want to consume message. But we felt that a drop-dead simple messaging system would help members get in touch with each other. And I think it works for that purpose, and I completely agree that having long conversations in MeFi Mail is a drag compared with email. So we're going to stick with what we have for now unless we find that it's broken for the intended use in its current state.
posted by pb (staff) at 3:07 PM on May 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
Maybe calling it a pseudo-threaded view was to complex. I really just want my inbox and outbox all squished into one page, sorted by date.
posted by boo_radley at 3:08 PM on May 27, 2009
posted by boo_radley at 3:08 PM on May 27, 2009
If it helps, boo_radley, this is the second most politely worded pony request I've ever seen.
posted by misha at 3:16 PM on May 27, 2009
posted by misha at 3:16 PM on May 27, 2009
oh, and I have my preferences set to send MeFi Mails to Gmail, and that pulls together conversations perfectly. So you might try piping your MeFi Mails to another system that can handle more advanced features like threading (or pseudo-threading).
posted by pb (staff) at 3:30 PM on May 27, 2009
posted by pb (staff) at 3:30 PM on May 27, 2009
I completely forgot that forwarding was an option. Thanks, pb!
posted by boo_radley at 3:35 PM on May 27, 2009
posted by boo_radley at 3:35 PM on May 27, 2009
"...we've made the conscious decision..."
I'm glad to see this. I was beginning to worry about all the unconscious decisions the mods were making.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 4:08 PM on May 27, 2009
I'm glad to see this. I was beginning to worry about all the unconscious decisions the mods were making.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 4:08 PM on May 27, 2009
and I have my preferences set to send MeFi Mails to Gmail, and that pulls together conversations perfectly
I have this too, because I'd really rather ignore the MeFi Mail web interface. It works, but having to go back into the MeFi Mail page to reply to a forwarded MeFi mail is kind of a pain, which is why I made my jokey I-want-a-Clydesdale request for SMTP access to MeFi mail.
But it's just occurred to me that there's something really easy that you could do to improve the MeFi to real-email glue: if the sender has a real email address visible in their profile, include that as the reply-to address in any forwarded MeMails.
posted by flabdablet at 5:33 PM on May 27, 2009
I have this too, because I'd really rather ignore the MeFi Mail web interface. It works, but having to go back into the MeFi Mail page to reply to a forwarded MeFi mail is kind of a pain, which is why I made my jokey I-want-a-Clydesdale request for SMTP access to MeFi mail.
But it's just occurred to me that there's something really easy that you could do to improve the MeFi to real-email glue: if the sender has a real email address visible in their profile, include that as the reply-to address in any forwarded MeMails.
posted by flabdablet at 5:33 PM on May 27, 2009
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posted by Caduceus at 10:46 PM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]