Re: If there's an option to turn it off, in unfolded conversation, while keeping the contact images displayed, it's ok - like before.
I meant the option (added two nights ago, won't be in 1.8, will be in 1.9) -- to turn off per-message checkboxes completely.
I saw a lot of requests for that, so went ahead and did it.
This is for both individual messages, collapsed conversations, expanded conversations. All of them.