Comment 192 for bug 52667

In reply to comment # 132 by Magnus Melin
> I agree with comment 131. (Except 1. and 2. are just "reply", per rfcs.)
> I'm not sure why this became a discussion about defaulting to a certain reply
> type. At least for me, I do need to choose those on a per message basis -
> there is no "default".

The defaults discussion was triggered by Bryan W Clark's comment #120, linking this bug the new message reader layout. In comment #120 and bug 461098 comment #1 Bryan says the plan is to have a SINGLE reply button in the button bar of new message reader preview pane. The default action triggered by the button will then change dynamically according to the properties/type of the current mail/news. Combining as many as 4 different reply options (as per comment #131) into a SINGLE button certainly requires decisions about the default action, and that's how it started. The subsequent idea was to implement dropdown menu buttons to alleviate gross usability issues for those not happy with the single default reply option. Obviously, the dropdowns still require a single default reply option for each different type of mail/news. Usability thus could be improved by letting the user choose his/her own preferred default reply option for each type.

A lot of the discussion in this bug shows that people's expectations with respect to default reply actions differ a lot. So I'm not sure if I'm overcomplicating things by suggesting a very low-cost solution to make default reply actions customizable (let user set default reply option for different types of mail/news in about:config; my comment #130 - ignore the "sticky" bit).

Maybe some of the "bugfight" in between is in danger of oversimplifying the true complexity of the issue:

1 single new reply button (as envisioned by Bryan for the new message reader's header pane) should handle
2 basic different types of messages (mail, news),
2 additional subsets of messages (list-mail, mail with multiple recipients - see Bryan in bug 461098 comment #1), and
4 different reply options (reply to reply-to, to sender, to list, to all; as listed in comment #131, and basically the same in my comment #130).
Default actions must evaluate at least
8 (i.e. lots of) different relevant headers (reply-to, follow-up-to, list-post, from, to, cc, resent-from, resent-reply-to...), where in terms of reply, some headers (like "reply-to") overwrite others (like "from") but still the user might want to use "the other" header...
Furthermore, since this bug is linked with, but not filed explicitly against the new message reader, we'll need to consider at least
2 different locations for reply button(s): message reader and main toolbar, where the msg header pane real estate is much more limited than the toolbar. Thus the toolbar might continue to have TWO reply buttons where the plan for message reader is to have just ONE (possibly requiring different coding for those buttons).
In addition, people want customization options, e.g. 4 individual buttons for each of the 4 different reply options, and choice as to which buttons are shown.
Finally, add to that a lot of different and sometimes incompatible personal needs and preferences of individual users, ranging from "anything beyond 2 reply options is clutter" to "how about sticky reply options"... (forget about that idea of mine, predictability wins).

Having said which, finding the "right" solution, or any solution for that sake, to problems of this sort must be very much like squaring the circle... so maybe we should be more understanding even if things do take a little longer (no sarcasm this time, just plain compassion! :)). @Bryan: good luck and we trust you can do it: square the circle!!