Ugly Thunderbird Email Update

[Judge]

First and foremost, it's best to go back into your settings to make sure what you want is what you still have. This so-called update may have changed whatever default settings you prefer. I found a couple things I had to change again just to get it back to what I had.

I hate what they did to the coloring of the email client Thunderbird. Forcing absolute black (#000000) into the interface with incoming and outgoing messages. Make it look cheap like Windows 10. I always make a point of applying different shades of grey to a dark interface, but loathe any absolute black- or white. Simply too much contrast to my eyes.

So far I haven't found any way to alter the absolute black (#000000) Thunderbird is forcing on users. If anyone finds a way to do so, I'd be obliged to know how it was done. Even in Firefox I can still control such things. But Thunderbird has split off from them...guess they are doing their own thing.

It makes me ill just looking at much of any app or operating system using absolute black when shades of grey appear so much more elegantly. My OCD? I'm not sure...

For now the best I can do is to go back to the default installation having deleted a customized theme. Less absolute black, but still too much IMO. I may just decide to load "Evolution" (a competitor email client) on my third Linux distro I keep on a spare SSD.

It's the sort of minor change that can ruin my day...week....existence!

 

[Angular Chap]

Thanks for the heads up. The update is sitting at the bottom of the queue on the Raspberry Pi. I'll backup my config just in case and install the update on another machine, just to double check it doesn't impact anything major.

 

[Judge]

Thanks for the heads up. The update is sitting at the bottom of the queue on the Raspberry Pi. I'll backup my config just in case and install the update on another machine, just to double check it doesn't impact anything major.

View attachment 117608

Frankly I had the thought of electing NOT to update in Linux. But common sense told me otherwise.

I lost in this instance. Wish I had listened to myself...

 

[Angular Chap]

Frankly I had the thought of electing NOT to update in Linux. But common sense told me otherwise.

I lost in this instance. Wish I had listened to myself...

Indeed, I think we've all been there at some point. And probably will be again in future.

 

[Outdated]

I'm not too happy with the updated graphics either, especially the new ugly icon version in my taskbar. I'm not at all familiar enough with Win10 to compare it to that, I thought it looked more like early versions of the KDE desktop from 20 years ago, which wasn't a huge step up from Win3.1

Background colours didn't alter for me except for the mail listings panel. I do a lot of screen time so most of my text backgrounds are a pale neutral grey similar to the default background in this forum.

 

[Outdated]

Frankly I had the thought of electing NOT to update in Linux. But common sense told me otherwise.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Ultimately we have to adapt and change as our computers and operating systems do, but that doesn't mean we have to like it.

 

[Judge]

Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Ultimately we have to adapt and change as our computers and operating systems do, but that doesn't mean we have to like it.

True. It may seem trivial to some of you. But for me, absolute black (#000000) makes me see red! I hate it!!!!!

 

[Aspychata]

I am sending my condolences, as l know this would be particularly upsetting you, like if l came over and rearranged your lamp and plants and pictures all slightly off by two inches. It's okay, take a deep breath. Remember chaos does bring improvements. Changes need to be affected so that we can benefit in the end. No, l would never rearrange anything. Did you use a tape measure to get everything lined up that perfectly of that picture you submitted?

 

[Judge]

No, l would never rearrange anything. Did you use a tape measure to get everything lined up that perfectly of that picture you submitted?

That and a pocket level. Equidistant, symmetry and precisely parallel to the ground. Welcome to my world.

 

[Judge]

I got another series of multiple updates and sure enough, the colors of the Thunderbird interface improved a bit. However the box for the inbox, sent,drafts,junk, etc. is still absolute (#000000) black. At least absolute black no longer dominates the interface in Linux Mint 21.2 - or Pop!OS22.04.

I went back to both my drives with Pop!OS22.04 and they also had numerous updates that in fact also changed the color scheme of Thunderbird again. Hope whatever the issues are will be concluded. There were also a lot of runtime updates and other internal OS modifications. Can't help but wonder if they impacted Thunderbird apart from the mail client's update.

Frankly the dark scheme momentarily acted up in Firefox as well, showing a white background with black text. As if my extension "Dark Reader" was temporarily turned off. So this may well involve other considerations than just Thunderbird.

I haven't even bothered to check my Windows 10 drive yet...though I suspect nothing may be significantly changed. But anyway I can't achieve the various hues of grey in Windows 10 like I can with Linux distros.

 

[Judge]

I'm still kind of amused with Thunderbird, wondering if they "heard me". I mean, I had a barrage of internal updates pertaining to two different versions of Ubuntu-based Linux distros. Then later in the day, another round of the same thing. But in the second round of so many internal updates they clearly changed the colors of the interface once more, making it a little better than before. Reducing those areas that were absolute black (#000000). I suppose I can get used to it, but the use of raw black reminds me so much of the limitations of Windows 10/11.

IMO it defeats the idea of attempting to reduce contrast, whether on a dark or light background. Where absolute black (#000000) can be as annoying as absolute white (#FFFFFF).

In the next few hours I will finally get around to plugging in my Windows 10 SSD just to see whether or not anything has changed in that version of Thunderbird. Probably not, apart from the fact that Windows 10 doesn't allow much customization in terms of hues of grey as opposed to black. But then the security updates of Windows in no way parallels those of Linux. But it might expose how much of the problem lies with Thunderbird as opposed to how such changes gel (or not) with Windows. We shall see....

I may still end up trying out Evolution just to see how it renders in Linux. I don't need all these bells and whistles that Thunderbird keeps introducing into their email client. I just need the bare minimum.

 

[Outdated]

I don't need all these bells and whistles that Thunderbird keeps introducing into their email client. I just need the bare minimum.

It's a very tired old joke but it never goes away:
What does the software engineer say about a program that works absolutely perfectly? "Well... obviously it doesn't have enough features yet... ".

I couldn't live without thunderbird, the online gmail interface (and all others) is so clunky and awkward to use that I quickly lose patience with it. Receiving mail from all my addresses in one well organised space is also a lot easier and quicker to work with.

For those that are curious, Thunderbird is laid out in a very similar fashion to the old Microsoft Outlook Express which was a wonderful program and very easy and convenient to use. Then they switched to just Microsoft Outlook which is a horrible thing to use at home or in the workplace.

 

[Judge]

It's a very tired old joke but it never goes away:
What does the software engineer say about a program that works absolutely perfectly? "Well... obviously it doesn't have enough features yet... ".

I couldn't live without thunderbird, the online gmail interface (and all others) is so clunky and awkward to use that I quickly lose patience with it. Receiving mail from all my addresses in one well organised space is also a lot easier and quicker to work with.

For those that are curious, Thunderbird is laid out in a very similar fashion to the old Microsoft Outlook Express which was a wonderful program and very easy and convenient to use. Then they switched to just Microsoft Outlook which is a horrible thing to use at home or in the workplace.

Amen to that. Yeah, long ago Outlook was great. The default email client to use. And most of us did.

But with Thunderbird they appear to always be on the edge of disappearing from the market. A key consideration of why some Linux distros are defaulting to installing Evolution. And the vary thought of financial woes may be why Thunderbird keep loading their client with bloatware we don't want or need.

Too bad that the same old players in the market continue to make the same old marketing mistakes. Some of us just want something that works. No more, no less. Not a broadway musical. With Thunderbird clearly not listening...

Here it is now, improved but the main body is still black with white text. I altered it as much as I could just to simplify the interface in general. Incredibly annoying remains this craze to incorporate search boxes into every application now, whether it's needed or not. I don't get it, and don't want it!

 

[Outdated]

Too bad that the same old players in the market continue to make the same old marketing mistakes.

I only just noticed in the picture above, my gmail accounts now have 2 trash bins.

One thing I did notice a lot about Linux and security and it makes me smile. On the few rare occasions when I actually log in to google online it can't scan my computer for any identifying information, so I get sent security alerts to both addresses every time. They just go straight to the spam folder now.

 

[Judge]

I only just noticed in the picture above, my gmail accounts now have 2 trash bins.

One thing I did notice a lot about Linux and security and it makes me smile. On the few rare occasions when I actually log in to google online it can't scan my computer for any identifying information, so I get sent security alerts to both addresses every time. They just go straight to the spam folder now.

I've never understood a need for a "junk" and "junk mail" folder.

Yeah, I get those same security alerts as well.

 

[Judge]

And Pop!OS22.04 just gave me yet another runtime update. Three in less than 24 hours. Wonder what's going on with Linux? I hope it isn't impacting other applications I'm not aware of...

One thing I don't like about Pop!OS22.04 is that their update descriptions provide no details...

 

[Judge]

LOL..when I see predominantly white backgrounds and black text, I'm like Dracula facing someone's crucifix.

My eyes just can't adjust as well as they used to. But then I still recall when I worked in high tech as a website designer for a software game publisher. Where you walk into an area and all the lights are perpetually turned off, with the only light sources coming from employees' monitors.

And God help anyone who would be foolish enough to flip the room's light switch on.

 

[Outdated]

I applied for a data entry job once, back in the early 90s. Everyone was wearing glasses and they made me wear a pair too. The glasses were perfectly clear but polarised, and they really did greatly reduce screen glare.

 

[Judge]

I applied for a data entry job once, back in the early 90s. Everyone was wearing glasses and they made me wear a pair too. The glasses were perfectly clear but polarised, and they really did greatly reduce screen glare.

When I worked in that Silicon Valley environment, in looking back I suspect half the people in that building were all on the spectrum. But yeah, all of them cherished working in a dark room.