[spambayes-dev] button ideas (oh boy)

[Seth Goodman]

> From: Tony Meyer [mailto:tameyer at ihug.co.nz]
> Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 1:04 AM

<...>

> > There's also still the issue of what is the right thing to do
> > if the user selects multiple messages.
>
> I think this is the most difficult question (unless it turns out that it's
> just simply too resource-expensive).  I (obviously) can't think of a good
> answer, either.

A simple-minded approach: if _any_ of the messages highlighted will result
in some action by pressing the button, leave the button enabled.  That is,
if any of the selected message are either untrained or trained opposite to
the meaning of button, leave the button enabled and attempt processing of
all highlighted messages.  Spambayes currently does the right thing on any
message where the action does not make sense.

A really simple-minded approach:  always leave both buttons enabled in all
menus.  If a user highlights multiple messages and selects an action, do the
action wherever it makes sense.  If the action does not make sense on any of
the messages, so be it.  That is exactly what happens now if you move (with
incremental training disabled) messages to the Unsure folder.  Both buttons
are enabled and you can make multiple selections and press either button.
It seems to do the right thing all the time, that is, train on any untrained
messages and untrain and retrain on any incorrectly trained messages.  I
think this would be a big improvement compared to what we have now.
Disabling the buttons where it makes sense is a really user-friendly
feature, but if the choice were between buttons that are always enabled in
all folders and the status quo, I would vote for providing the buttons in
all folders.  It would be no more confusing than the present situation in
the Unsure folder.

No matter what you do there will be user questions.  For context sensitive
buttons, it will be, "why doesn't the button appear enabled when I select
these messages".  There might also be bugs to fix related to when the
buttons are enabled.  For "always on" buttons, the only question would
probably be, "I pressed the Spam button, but the Spambayes manager doesn't
show the number of trained spam as any different".  I suggest there will be
fewer of the latter, since most people probably don't look at the Spambayes
manger all that often.  You can also gauge this by how many people currently
ask you that question for the Unsure folder.

--

Seth Goodman