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Beta test of new webmail


jefft

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If you would like to beta test the new webmail, please email (not PM) me directly for instructions.

Hopefully this will be available to everyone in a week or so. It looks useable to me now, but I'd like to get some more eyes on it.

JT

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have sent this information in to JT but wanted other beta testers to know about a possible problem in reporting spam using the "Report as spam" link from within the beth webmail system. For background, I have quick reporting enabled on this account.

When I select multiple messages and click the "Report as spam" link, I have been receiving back a confirmation that lists the first spam as many times as the number of spams I submitted. For instance, if I selected 6 different messages, my confirmation has the first spam reported 6 times. Also, only that message is marked as read in my trash folder, seeming to indicate that the reporting link did not open it. The other messages never show up as having been reported.

I have also sent a message to the deputies before I fully determined what the problem seems to be to let them know I was seeing multiple reports for a single spam I submitted. I am about to update the deputies now.

I request any other beta testers investigate this to determine if it is system wide (the live system still seems to work correctly for me) and to stop using the link until this is fixed.

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Regarding bugs/issues with the Beta webmail, I've reported a few to JT, and he responded that he's collecting them and plans to go in and try to fix a batch of them at some point. However, just as Steven did, should we perhaps be "comparing notes" a bit here publicly? I would think that would be helpful, but JT will have to weigh in on that.

I've found what seems to be a functional difference between the current and beta systems WRT "Deleting and Moving Messages" when it comes to the "Empty Folder(s)" action found in the "Folders" functions. Specifically, I'm comparing the behavior of both systems both when I *do* and when I *do not* select "When deleting messages, move them to your Trash folder instead of marking them as deleted" in my Options.

In the case where I have that option selected, in the current system, if I go into Folders, put a checkmark by my Held folder and then do the "Empty Folder(s)" action, the messages move from my Held to my Trash, which is contrary to the warning prompt "Are you sure you wish to PERMANENTLY delete these messages?" that appears when selecting this action. In the beta, when I do exactly the same thing, the messages disappear altogether, and don't wind up in the Trash.

In the case where I have that option disabled, in the current system, if I go into Folders, put a checkmark by my Held folder and then do the "Empty Folder(s)" action, the messages move from my Held to my Trash, which is again contrary to the warning prompt "Are you sure you wish to PERMANENTLY delete these messages?" that appears when selecting this action. In the beta, when I do exactly the same thing, the messages disappear altogether, and don't wind up in the Trash.

So, in the current system, when you "Empty" your Held folder, the messages get moved to Trash regardless of your setting. In the beta, they get permanently deleted, not going into the Trash, regardless of your setting, which I see as an improvement, but people should be aware of the difference in behavior, in case they're used to the old behavior.

In fact, when making the production-level switch to the new webmail, there should be a list of such differences, bug fixes, etc. published here so that people will know about them.

David T.

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I am also in contact with JT and had several issues already fixed but felt the reporting problem was important enough to expose it to the public. I have halted testing until I see a fix is complete for that bug because that is my main use of the webmail system.

For the record, I still am seeing that intermittant problem of the screen returning to a previous view and not doing when the log says it did.

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I've reported some browser-related issues to JT, involving FireFox. Unfortunately, it seems that the Horde version being used in the beta has some incompatibilities with FireFox that are causing some significant problems, at least in my testing. JT says that the Horde developers claim that these are bugs in FireFox. Unless these browser issues are resolved, then this system should not be brought into full production-level use, IMO.

DT

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I have seen that Firefox issue, too. It has been discussed on the Horde mailing list here:

http://marc.free.net.ph/message/20041204.0...7bb3dfe.en.html

and here:

http://marc.free.net.ph/message/20050129.2...95b8bed.en.html

Other organizations, most notably Verizon Wireless, don't seem to mind that their production systems trigger this display error in Firefox. Let's hope that it will be fixed in Firefox 1.0.1.

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I have seen that Firefox issue, too. It has been discussed on the Horde mailing list

OK, that covers the issue regarding alignment problems in the tables containing messages lists. However, there's another Firefox issue specific to the use of the new "SpamCop Portal" when displayed as a left-hand navigation bar. JT's implementation of it is using borderless frames that aren't resizeable. When the contents of the left-hand frame become too wide for the frame, the contents shift, but there's no horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the frame, so you can't shift the contents of the nav frame back once they've moved. The horizontal scroll bar shows up in IE.

I just looked at the screen captures quoted in the Horde list thread you pointed out, and interestingly enough, their implementation seems to be using a wider value for the left-hand frame...take a look:

http://home.blandsite.org/~knitterb/horde/layout-fine.jpg

There seems to be something wrong in the SC beta implementation that's making the nav window too narrow.

DT

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However, there's another Firefox issue specific to the use of the new "SpamCop Portal" when displayed as a left-hand navigation bar. JT's implementation of it is using borderless frames that aren't resizeable.

24392[/snapback]

This is resizable in Options for SpamCop Portal-->Display Options. Despite what it says, I don't even need to re-login for it to take effect.

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This is resizable in Options for SpamCop Portal-->Display Options.

:blink: Oops...yeah, there it is...my powers of observation are obviously in question. I upped the value a little and the nav bar issue is solved...thanks!

As for the goofed-up tables in FireFox, a temporary solution is to use this keyboard sequence to put things right - Ctrl -, Ctro 0 (control + minus sign, control + zero), which causes the table to "reflow" and temporarily fixes the problem.

I sent a few other issues to JT that I'm sure he'll address...those had to do with some of the defaults, such as the default language and color scheme and their relationship with changes to Options.

DT

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Heh! .. and now I see why the Forum problems have been sitting in the background <g>

While not speaking for JT, but reading what's been said thus far ... it might be best to wrangle some of these things out here ... this is as compared to several folks e-mailing him (looking at the probability of getting reports/complaints about the same issue when each and every tester comes across the same problem, though these incidents being days/weeks apart.) Knocking them about in one spot, and as seen above, providing some work-arounds/clues for issues, would help all involved ...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Per an email message from JT just recently, he is not aware that the updated FireFox still has problems. Please, someone using FireFox 1.0.1 contact JT.

BTW, have you had a chance to test the beta webmail with Firefox 1.0.1? I wonder if the

columns issue is fixed.

Jeff

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Per an email message from JT just recently, he is not aware that the updated FireFox still has problems.  Please, someone using FireFox 1.0.1 contact JT.

Yes, the "table flow problem" which causes alignment problems in tables is still an issue. I'll let him know.

DT

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Would someone please give a few more details about "new webmail"? Is there a ChangeLog somewhere for reading? Does this correspond to a Horde release, or is it purely homegrown? Will it include performance enhancements (hw or sw or db or whatever) so my held mail folder doesn't take 20--40 seconds to open? Will it fix the "There was an error in trying to access that message" problem that crops up at random because some back-end system doesn't reply quickly enough? Will it just reorganize the buttons? Or to state it more bluntly, will it be anywhere near enough to keep up with all the great stuff that gmail offers for free?

TIA

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Based on my playing with it until the reporting problem was found, it is intended to be a later version of IMP Horde than the one currently in use for SpamCop Webmail, fitted with SpamCop-specific enhancements. Two big enhancements that I saw were a portal and the ability to flow vertically on smaller screens (no more need for a horizontal scrollbar).

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Here were my first impressions on February 4th, posted here nearly three months later due to lack of response:

1. Ooh, IE is willing to remember my password! I like it already!

2. What is the SpamCop Portal, why is its button so wide, and can I get rid of that button? On my 800x600 screen, even maximized, when combined with the new "no horizontal scrollbar" functionality (which I otherwise like), this causes the button bar at the top to be double-high due to wrapping. I'd suggest the following shortening: Compose to Write; SpamCop Portal to Portal; Address Book to Addresses

3. On the Held Mail mailbox/Folder, Mark All is now Alt+A, instead of Alt+K. Similarly, on the Inbox mailbox/Folder, Mark All is now Alt+A, instead of Alt+N. Extra points for internal consistency, lost points for upgrade inconsistency.

4. There is no more hotkey for "Report as spam" (formerly Alt+E). This would present a big problem for me.

5. The first time I clicked "Report as spam", it reported "The folder "trash" was successfully created." That's nice, but I already had one with mixed case, so now I have two (one old "Trash" and one new "trash").

6. The "Held Mail" button is gone.

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2. What is the SpamCop Portal, why is its button so wide, and can I get rid of that button?  On my 800x600 screen, even maximized, when combined with the new "no horizontal scrollbar" functionality (which I otherwise like), this causes the button bar at the top to be double-high due to wrapping.  I'd suggest the following shortening: Compose to Write; SpamCop Portal to Portal; Address Book to Addresses

Maybe not connected at all ..??? IPB just rolled out version 2.1 Alpha of the Forum software, and the 800x600 complaint has come up on several screens. The Forum does also include a Portal page, but again, not sure if there's any connection here (all I can recall seeing is 'beta software' .. no name of the actual application has come up) .. on one hand, I'm sure we're talking two different applications here, but going back to the 'integration' of the web-based e-mail and the web-based support area ..??? And it probably does without saying that FireFox has some issues (noting some problems go away by the folks that use the nightly build .. amkes it a bit hard to troubleshoot sometimes <g>)

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  • 1 month later...

Months ago I read about a beta test of a new webmail version. Any information if this new version will ever be productive and when?

Thanks,

Michael

(Merged this into the Topic/Discussion about the Beta-E-Mail stuff ... PM sent)

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I haven't heard any news about the webmail beta recently. I guess the whole project is on hold at least until the Firefox developers fix the rendering errors. This will hopefully happen in Firefox 1.1.

29028[/snapback]

I'm not using it more because of the "Report as spam bug" than for the "Firefox rendering errors".
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  • 10 months later...

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