Re: conversations threading IMPORTANT

[Sam Nilsson <sam@servingpeace.com>]

Per Boysen wrote:
> On 11 okt 2007, at 09.29, Claude Voit wrote:
> 
>> somewhere in the message header are some nb/codes that make the 
>> conversation tree understandable by the email client and organizes the 
>> display in our respective mail client.
> 
> This is something I have not heard of? No email system I have been using 
> works like that (MS Windows Office Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, MS 
> Entourage for Mac, Apple Mail, online web browser dependent G-Mail, 
> online web browser PHP system Squirrel). When sorting according to 
> Subject (equalling "thread") the function is based on alphabetical 
> order, leaving out those short abbreviations typically added by the 
> email client, as "Re", "RE", "FW" etc.

Thunderbird supports sorting by thread which is based on more than just 
sorting by Subject header. Threading != sorting by Subject.

If you open any reply that has been sent to the list and choose your 
mail program's version of "View Message Source" you can see the raw 
email message which includes all of the headers. Take note of the 
"In-Reply-To" and "References" headers. Those headers reference the 
Message-Id of the message being replied to.

Systems that allow for sorting by thread will use those headers to 
determine threading order above and beyond using the Subject header.

The moral of the story is that it really is helpful to many of us as 
well as to anyone browsing threads in the archives if people will 
remember to send a new email instead of hitting reply when starting a 
new thread.

Peace,
- Sam