Address Book - Display Name - Security

User Help for Mozilla Thunderbird
Post Reply
sludge7071-g
Posts: 100
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 10:18 am

Address Book - Display Name - Security

Post by sludge7071-g »

I'm using the latest, TB 60.5.0 . . . I have these four questions

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tools / Address Book

Column headers / Click icon in the top right to select
02/09/19 I think I only need to see these four. There's nothing in the rest of them:

Name
. . . right-click / Edit Contact
. . . If it has a FN/LN, it uses that to make up the "Display" name
. . . Without FN/LN, there is no "Display" name
1.) . . . But when you go to send an e-mail, it's showing the first part of the e-mail as the "Display" name?

Email
Chat Name
Address Book

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tools / Options / Display / Advanced tab

Display
[un-check] Show only "display" name for people in my address book

. . . I un-check it, because I would like to see their e-mail address, also
2.) . . . That's all the extra that I would see, right?
3.) . . . But, this doesn't seem to do anything - if it is, where?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tools / Options / Composition tab

[check] Automatically add outgoing e-mail addresses to my: Collected Addresses

4.) How safe is the Address Book from e-mail viruses today?

I have been using Yahoo Mail. I never collected any, for this reason. I kept them in Excel.
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127186
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Address Book - Display Name - Security

Post by DanRaisch »

1) I don't see any question there, just a statement.
2) Yes
3) Only the display name will be shown in the address auto-complete suggestions when composing a message.
4) The addresses are stored on your local computer so they are as secure as they were when stored in Excel.
sludge7071-g
Posts: 100
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 10:18 am

Re: Address Book - Display Name - Security

Post by sludge7071-g »

1.) . . . But when you go to send an e-mail, it's showing the first part of the e-mail as the "Display" name?

. . . I don't see any question there, just a statement.

More specifically: If there is no FN/LN, then it can't make a "Display" name, right? So, either:

a.) it shouldn't show anything, except the e-mail address . . . or

b.) shouldn't it say that if there is no FN/LN, then the first part of the e-mail will be used as the Display name? And it should appear in that box in the Address Book - until a FN/LN is entered, which replaces it

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

3.) . . . But, this doesn't seem to do anything - if it is, where?

. . . Only the display name will be shown in the address auto-complete suggestions when composing a message.

. . . But, the person's e-mail address pops up there, right after the Display name. Why? Shouldn't this setting be preventing that?
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127186
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Address Book - Display Name - Security

Post by DanRaisch »

3)
shouldn't it say that if there is no FN/LN, then the first part of the e-mail will be used as the Display name? And it should appear in that box in the Address Book - until a FN/LN is entered, which replaces it
1) That not the way it works. Without a first and last name, TB has only the address to work with so it shows that

3) Yes, the persons email address shows up in the autocomplete list. It could just show the display name (first and last name combined) but it was not designed to do that. It will display the name and the address.

Thunderbird is working properly for you as it was designed. It's just that your expectations are a bit different from the programmer's intentions.
sludge7071-g
Posts: 100
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 10:18 am

Re: Address Book - Display Name - Security

Post by sludge7071-g »

1.) When I go to "Write" an e-mail, and send to one with no Display Name, it just shows the e-mail now. It's working as expected now. Weird.

3.) The setting "Show only display name for people in my address book" [check or un-check] . . . I was thinking that this setting applies to when you're addressing recipients of your e-mail, but now I'm thinking that it ONLY applies to when you're looking at your Address Book . . . but, I don't see any change in the Address Book with it checked or not - any idea where you see something changed with this setting? . . . In my mind, the Address Book "Name" column should be re-titled as "Display Name", and when you check or un-check this box, this column is what changes.
sludge7071-g
Posts: 100
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 10:18 am

Re: Address Book - Display Name - Security

Post by sludge7071-g »

3.) I figured it out:

. . . the setting, "Show only display name for people in my address book" [check or un-check]

It applies to:

a.) When you're addressing recipients of your e-mail? - NO

b.) When you're looking at your Address Book? - NO

c.) When you're looking at an e-mail that you received - YES

And, IMO, you want it "un-checked", then TB will work how you expect. I think it's checked by default.

- - - - - - - - - -

Related - this other question I recently posted:

Display name - "Me" . . . http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=3046906
Post Reply