Conversation Grouping

[Davey126]

I noticed some highly related emails successfully grouped into conversations by gmail (web interface and app) are presented as discrete items in Aquamail. A representative example involves postal tracking notifications which come form the same originator and have an identical subject line for each package. I fiddled with various options under 'conversation', allowed the index to rebuild but can't find a combination of settings that permits the messages to be grouped into a conversation. All messages are inbound only; no forwards/replies muddying the picture.

Not sure if this by design or a known limitation (I did search the forums and FAQ). What detail would be helpful if there is an interest in investigating further?

Originator: auto-reply[at]usps.com
Sample subject line: USPS Shipment Info for 9400110200793791420000

[StR]

In short: This is by design.

At a simple, intuitive, level, as you noted yourself, - these messages are not part of a conversation. Right?
So, through a magic, Aquamail doesn't put them together as a conversation.
(The only common things between them are the (automated) sender and the subject. Yes, one can consider that makes a "group", but not a conversation.)

At a technical level: while some other apps, Gmail included group messages together based just on the subject, Aquamail doesn't do that. It relies on the internal reference(s) that are created when a message is sent as a reply or as a forward. Those are reliable signs of a conversation.

[Davey126]

Fair enough. Given the precise terminology I like and appreciate the methodology AquaMail uses to identify a 'conversation'. As for 'grouping' messages with similar characteristics (but not necessarily a conversation) I can handle that upstream through the use of Gmail filters.

Would grouping be a cool feature? Sure (as would 100 others)! But I'll resist the temptation as AquaMail is one of the most robust mail clients I have ever used yet remains easy to approach given its sophistication. Part of that has to do with a careful vetting of feature requests to keep the app from becoming bloated.

Thanks for the prompt response

[DaveRook]

At a technical level: while some other apps, Gmail included group messages together based just on the subject, Aquamail doesn't do that. It relies on the internal reference(s) that are created when a message is sent as a reply or as a forward. Those are reliable signs of a conversation.

Yes that is an interesting point. I wonder though, if there is a way to 'search similar', so I could 'group by subject' with just a tap of the screen...

[StR]

Yes that is an interesting point. I wonder though, if there is a way to 'search similar', so I could 'group by subject' with just a tap of the screen...

You can search for a particular subject, and that will give you a subset of messages that have that text,
but it is "temporary ", i.e. you cannot preserve  this subset as a group.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

It is by design -- and personal bias to a large degree.

I do not believe that such messages should be grouped (linked, combined, made into conversations), I'm not too hung up on the terminology.

I'm not alone in this -- Gmail isn't the only mail app, and there are other some with same logic as AquaMail (and some with same as Gmail's).

---

And as a suggestion -- if you receive those messages regularly, why not set up a server side filter in your mail service (Gmail) to move them to a different folder? And then access this folder in AquaMail? Then you won't have to "hunt for" these messages at all.

[Davey126]

And as a suggestion -- if you receive those messages regularly, why not set up a server side filter in your mail service (Gmail) to move them to a different folder? And then access this folder in AquaMail? Then you won't have to "hunt for" these messages at all.

That's exactly what I've done as indirectly referenced in my earlier response. Not everyone has (or knows how to use) upstream filtering tools but it works well for me. Glad for the open discussion; happy camper.