[Design] Feature request - All non-spam EMAIL kept in one folder, but also visible in Filtered Virtual Folders

[Dennis Lynch]

I hope it is not too late to introduce this 
concept.  Or, it may already part of the 
design.  Nevertheless, I did want to send 
this suggestion in formally.  Also, I put a 
scenario in the wiki 
(http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Main/
WhereIsThatEmailScenario) which helps to 
understand why this approach is important 
and maybe even "fundamental" to the email 
parcel.  

=== SUGGESTION SUMMARY ===
Specifically, my suggestion is that Chandler 
keep all non-spam Email in one folder, but 
also visible in "Filtered Virtual Folders".   
Archived email would be in a second parallel 
set of folders so that the main repository 
could be relatively small and fast.

=== REASONING ===
When Mail filters actually move messages 
into various folder, the user is at risk of 
having email misclassified, and perhaps 
overlooked.  Lots of email probably belongs 
in multiple folders, but then it must be 
deleted multiple times.  For example, how 
should a filter handle an email "from the 
boss", "marked as high priority", "regarding 
project Chandler", and including "budget 
analysis".  It should probably appear in all of 
those folders, but the cleanup would be a 
mess.  UNLESS, this suggestion were 
implemented- keep all email in one place, 
and use virtual folders to view the emails in 
all appropriate virtual folders.

=== ATTRIBUTES ===
The main attributes of such a design are:
   - All email is processed as it is received.
   - "Possible Spam" and "Probable Spam" 
are moved to appropriate folders
   - All other email is retained in the "All non-
spam email" folder, and can be viewed there 
in a window pane which has configurable 
columns and can be sorted by date, sender, 
subject, read/unread, priority, project 
designation, etc. (multiple column sort is 
also available - for example by 
read/date/sender)
   - All "non-spam" email can also be viewed 
in multiple virtual folders, where they are 
filtered (as in an SQL Select query) by 
various preset and/or user configurable 
filters.  Thus, each email can appear in 
numerous virtual folders.
   - Non-spam Email can be re-designated 
by the user as spam, and then moved and 
deleted (after the spam identification 
routines process it).
   - Emails can be moved from the 2 spam 
folders to the non-spam folder, and as a 
result can be seen in the virtual folders.
   - Rules for archiving of emails could be set 
up, so that all emails would be archived after 
"x" days, unless marked as "do not archive".

== COMMENT ON VIRTUAL FOLDERS ==
Note that "Filtered Virtual Folders" are 
dynamic and their filters are the equivalent 
of SQL statements.  These folders appear to 
the user as very similar to "traditional email 
folders", and the user can read and process 
these emails just as if they were actually 
stored in these folders- for example, they 
can reply, forward, delete, designate as 
spam, create new filter based on "attribute 
so and so", or add "project" identifiers to 
them. Of course, any email can appear in 
more than one virtual folder. Default virtual 
filters exist for "today's email", "this week's 
email", "not yet read" and perhaps a few 
others

== EXAMPLE EMAIL OUTLINE PANE ==
For example, the email outline view (the left-
hand pane) would contain the following 
entries:

- Active EMail
  - All non-spam Emails
    - Today's Email (predefined filter)
    - This week's Email (predefined filter)
    - Other non-read EMail (predefined filter)
    - From the boss (user defined filter)
    - Chandler Design Mailing List (user 
defined filter)
    - Other Chandler Project (user defined 
filter)
    - PIM design related (user defined filter)
    - family emails (user defined filter)
    - ... etc
    - [create new virtual filter]
  - Possible spam
  - Probable spam
- Archived EMail
  - All non-spam Emails
    - From the boss (user defined filter)
    - Chandler Project (user defined filter)
    - PIM design related (user defined filter)
    - family emails (user defined filter)



Dennis Lynch
Lynch Business Advisors