Thunderbird email program advice

[alitalf]

I am trying to change to using Thunderbird for email, and much of it seems to be able to be configured as I want. I have not yet found out how NOT to add every email address I ever reply to to the address book, though. Does anyone know where this option is hidden?

Also, have any Thunderbird users got suggestions for the best addons to install?

Comments

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

I am now up and running with Thunderbird! And with one exception (something I actually find I miss a huge amount) I'm very happy with it. In particular I love being able to tag posts in different colours.

To now add every address you reply to.

Tools
Options
Composition
Addressing (tab)
Untick 'Automatically add outgoing email addresses to'.

Best add ons: (Looks at own list)

Allow HTML temp
British English Dictionary
Buttons!
Duplicate Contact Manager
Magic SLR
Mail Redirect
Mark All Read Button
Remove Duplicate Messages (alternative)
Signature (depends on whether you use this feature)
Tag Toolbar
Toolbar Buttons
View Headers Toggle Button

I've got a few more, but these are the ones I use/rely on most often.

I just wish someone could write/adapt an extension that allowed me to navigate through my message (without using the preview pane which I *hate*) and the selected message highlight moves as you move message, i.e. the message you are viewing is the selected one. Someone has done that if you use the preview pane, but as I said I don't care for it.

[alitalf.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I now have Thunderbird configured nearer to the way I want it. I was using Foxmail, and that had one feature I like that Thunderbird does not quite duplicate - a separate viewer window to use to look at mail headers on the remote server, so that I can choose which ones to delete without downloading. Thunderbird achieves this in a different way, and like you with the preview pane, I would prefer another approach. Still, it seems better overall, and I am so far glad I changed.

I have a couple of the addons installed now:
Allow HTML temp and view headers toggle, but I am not sure what Magic SLR is useful for. My computer is almost always on the broadband and sends when I hit send, so does magic slr do useful stuff that the description doesn't make clear?

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I've never used the view mail on a server function, so I've never troubled myself with that particular add-on.

The Magic SRL one allows things like passwords to be saved, there are occasions when Thunderbird doesn't save them, thus you have to type them in each time to get mail, and also allows you to configure the Get/Send button the way you want it. It might be a superfluous add-on with the latest Thunderbird, however, I know that when I first started to use it, until I installed Magic SLR, I couldn't send and receive at the same time. A minor thing, but one does like what one is used to *g*

Actually another thing I don't really care for with Thunderbird is that when I click send on a message it sends it immediately rather than putting it into the outbox, unless I click 'send later'. I have broadband too, but I still prefer my messages to go into the outbox first. I have no logical rationale to explain why, but there you go :-)

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

Re: Magic SLR

From the blurb:

MagicSLR provides new functions and buttons, to have more comfort to get and send messages. Many users missed a combined "Get/Send" button in Thunderbird. MagicSLR provides this button and more.

[gabriel-chase.livejournal.com]

I've used Thunderbird for ages. Don't use any add-ons though. I don't have huge amounts of email.

That wasn't a very helpful comment was it? Sorry! :)

[alitalf.livejournal.com]

The fact you chose Thuderbird tends to confirm that I will find it suitable, thanks.

[sally_maria]

I've been using Thunderbird for about three years now.

One addon I find incredibly useful is Contacts Sidebar - http://jpeters.no-ip.com/extensions/?page=tb_cs . It makes your address books available in a sidebar that you can toggle on and off, much tidier than having it come up in a separate window.