Thread list with newest messages first?

[driggbon]

I'm heading back to Linux, and Thunderbird looks like the most flexible option for email. I've set it up so that threading and unified folders are on. I also set the unified folder to show items from both my IMAP Inbox and Sent folders. So that gives me nice "conversation" style threads. However, within threads, Thunderbirds put the oldest message first, and any new messages are tacked on the bottom of each thread, meaning I need to expand the whole thread just to see any new messages that come in. Worse, the new mail icon won't show up (because you need to expand the thread).

I'm pessimistic, but is there a way to reverse the order in which Thunderbird shows threads, so that the newest emails are first? That is, within threads, not the sort by date of emails in the main windows.

There's an add-on that basically does this (although in the email display pane: Thunderbird Conversations), but I've noticed it sometimes makes attachments not show, and it's nice but just a little flakey. It would be nice if the general idea of conversations could be baked into Thunderbird.

[tanstaafl]

"View -> Sort by" lets you set three sort parameters. You could try setting it to Date, Descending, Threaded. Descending should show the newest messages first. Threaded means list messages as part of conversations. I believe (but am not sure) that the same ascending/descending order applies to both threads and to messages within threads. I'd try to duplicate that on my PC but I rarely have threads.

If that doesn't do what you want look at the thread settings in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Stop_threading_by_subject

[driggbon]

"View -> Sort by" lets you set three sort parameters. You could try setting it to Date, Descending, Threaded. Descending should show the newest messages first.

Those are the settings I currently have, and that does sort the list of emails correctly. But as for the sorting inside threads themselves, the newest email in the thread will always be at the bottom of the thread. This is not particularly functional (obviously one usually wants to see the new emails), so what I want to do is reverse this.

The best solution I have found so far is with the following settings:
Layout "vertical view", folders "unified", Sort by "date/descending/threaded", and then install the plugin "Thunderbird Conversations", which will show you the newest email in a thread when you click on it. I'd prefer if this was built into Thunderbird, because it seems like basic functionality to me.

How does anyone use threaded mode in its present state (without plugins)? You have to manually open threads and go the bottom of each one to get new emails. The recommendations I've seen floating around are to have "Expand all threads" permanently on. But why would anyone want to have to trawl through swaths of email threads? Threads should stay closed by default and you should be able to view the newest email in the thread just by clicking on the thread (like conversations lets you do). Seems a lot easier to me.

[tanstaafl]

I rarely have a thread so I'm unaffected by these problems.

[driggbon]

I rarely have a thread so I'm unaffected by these problems.

That's ok, but I don't think having extended threads or "conversations" is a rare usage of email.