An Open Letter to the Thunderbird Team
Dear Thunderbird,
Congratulations on the launch of Thunderbird 2!
As a die-hard Thunderbird user, steadfast in my refusal to use the steaming pile of dung that is Outlook, I’m happy to see the steady progress.
The new features look pretty neat. I’m not sure how much I’ll use the Message History History, but tags certainly look interesting.
I’m also happy to see you changed the keyboard shortcut for creating a new message.
I definitely agree that Cmd-N is much more intuitive than Shift-Cmd-M. I’d gotten used to the old way long ago, but new users will definitely appreciate it.
Do you mind if I ask a favor for us old users? The one’s who’ve stood by you for a long time?
I hate to bring it up, but that keyboard shortcut thing, the Shift-Cmd-M thing? Well, my fingers got really used to it. When I just think of creating a message, my fingers automatically hit that combination.
Now, sure, with just a little bit of time it’ll change.
But, there’s going to be a transition period. One where I first do it the old way (Cmd-Shift-M), realize that’s wrong, then do the new (Cmd-N).
So, given that, it’d be nice, really fucking nice, if in the new app, Cmd-Shift-M did something other than DELETE MY FUCKING MESSAGE.
Seriously, what sadist bastard came up with this idea?
Personally, I’m betting it was the same guy who came up with commas.
Crazy idea: Shift-Cmd-M does nothing for the next version or two while we all make the mental switch?
It’s times like this I really miss mutt.
April 25th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
That sucks, and even as desperate for keys as we always are, you’re right that it ought to have gone fallow for a while, but, it didn’t really delete your fucking message, did it? Just moved it to the folder where you last moved something, or as I like to call it, THE LAST DAMN PLACE ON EARTH I’LL LOOK!!1!
April 25th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Ack ulp. Doesn’t delete unless you last moved, or worse yet, dragged, something to the trash. Apparently the delete key and the delete toolbar button are safe, but moving and dragging set you up for a surprise deletion, not just an unexpected move.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:38 am
[…] An Open Letter to the Thunderbird Team It’d be nice, really fucking nice, if in the new app, Cmd-Shift-M did something other than DELETE MY FUCKING MESSAGE […]
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:07 pm
ctrl-shift-m does nothing in outlook, bill. maybe you should switch.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:08 pm
correction. ctrl-shift-m creates a new message. even better.
November 6th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Clearly no one heard you. It’s now 18 months later, I just abandoned M$ Outlook… and I’m now searching all over tarnation for my emails that got moved SOMEWHERE!
I’ve had 12 years of training in Outlook, and now those keystrokes are in microcode in my amygdala. I’ve got to find a way to disable that keyboard combination.