Thunderbird/SUMO Documentation Status
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Thunderbird SUMO Documentation Status
(by thomas8, 21-10-2021)
Thunderbird.net > Get Help (top navigation link, redirects to):
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/thunderbird
SUMO bugs / shortcomings affecting TB support experience
- Thunderbird Support main page: Main help categories (tiles) don't scale when browser window size is reduced (e.g. half-screen, even on a 27 inch screen). Tiles unexpectedly expand again and line up horizontally, no scroll bar. Bug 1737825
- Subcategory "All articles and threads" does *not* have all articles of the main category. Highly confusing, prevents access to help for those who trust the subcategory titles. E.g., in Emails > All articles and threads, the article "Automatic Account Configuration" isn't found. This is a systemic fault (possibly caused by requiring manual categorisation).
- For the systematic access via categories, Threads are not shown under "All articles and threads". That's good, but even for systematic access, maybe threads aka user support questions should be retrievable somehow in their own main category tile.
- Default support search returns both Help articles *and* community discussions – we might want to check if this mix is good or not. Filter tabs are available to view either/or.
Thunderbird components
| Thunderbird components | SUMO main category |
| Mail & Newsgroups window* 3-Pane window with message reader
|
Emails
|
| Address Book window* Contacts side bar (in composition window)
|
Contacts |
| Calendar tab* Tasks tab
|
Calendar |
| Chat tab | News Feeds (RSS), Blogs and Social |
| Feeds (RSS, in 3-pane window) | News Feeds (RSS), Blogs and Social |
| Newsgroups (NNTP, in 3-pane window, also composition) | Emails (??)* mentioned in Emails > Setup… > Glossary of Terms including types of Accounts (wrong article intro there)
|
| % | Tips & Tricks |
Documentation status when searching for keywords
| Components /
search phrases |
Matches
(leading numbers indicate rank) |
Status | Quality | Needs new Screenshots | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mail & Newsgroups window (3-Pane window with message reader) | |||||
| "Folder pane", "Folder list" | 1: Switching the folder pane view | Covered | Good | yes | Getting started with the Thunderbird main window: Nice 3-pane graphic with terms – can we expose this better?
Perhaps have a clickable image map which links to article searches with a good keyword? |
| "Message list" | 1: Message List Columns, | Covered | Alright | yes | |
| "Search" | 1: Global search | Incomplete | yes | * needs overview article
| |
| Composition window | |||||
| "Write message" | View all (search fail):
1: Creating a Newsgroup account, 2: Question on writing and sending messages (Archived thread: why is it even showing??)
|
search fail | Good (3), needs update (4) | Addressing an Email (by thomas8) is in best shape and has all the details.
Sending and receiving messages: screenshots are updated (thomas8), content bandaid-fixed, but needs overhaul and reduction. | |
| "add recipients" | Addressing an email | Covered | |||
| "write to group" | 1: Adressing an email | Covered | needs update | yes | screenshots, missing: expand list, autocomplete list.
We need contact tags. Until then, need an article how to mimic contact tags via nickname field to add recipients matching certain criteria (tags) |
| "send big files" | 2: FileLink for Large Attachments | Covered | good | yes if some ongoing bugs get uplifted | updated by thomas8 |
| "encrypted" | 1: Intro to e2e encryption in TB | Covered | needs update | yes (none) | Covered, but all encryption/open-pgp articles are way to wordy/lengthy, not illustrated |
| "secure message" | 1: Digitally Signing and Encrypting Messages (outdated, but links to OpenPGP in Thunderbird - HOWTO and FAQ) | Covered | needs update | yes | |
| Address Book window (and Contacts side bar) | |||||
| "Address book"
"Contacts" |
1: Rebuilding the Global DB
2: Question: Adding an address book All matches are Questions Articles-only: nothing on AB found |
search fail | n/a | No documentation on AB found
"Contacts" finds mailing lists Users do have many questions | |
| "Contacts side bar" | 2: Addressing an email | Covered (sort of) | needs content | yes | Addressing an email has some basic info on contacts side bar. Needs more, see contact tagging above. |
| Calendar tab | |||||
| "Calendar"
|
1: Exporting and sharing a calendar | outdated | needs update | too many Lightning articles here
Creating New Calendars is up to date (thomas8) | |
| Tasks tab | |||||
| "Tasks" | 1: Creating a new event or task | incomplete | needs content | yes | Tasks mostly *not* documented, e.g. how tasks behave with due date etc. See user question: Task Window – Why is it there? |
| Chat tab | |||||
| "Chat" | 1: Instant messaging and chat | Covered | yes | Needs new screenshots, might be ok otherwise. Should be self-explaining after setup? | |
| Various (Feeds, Newsgroups, Tips & Tricks) | |||||
| Feeds (RSS, in 3-pane window)
"News feeds" |
1: How to subscribe to News feeds and blogs
|
outdated, probably | needs update | yes | Basic information exists, but looks like it needs update, especially new screenshots. |
| Newsgroups (NNTP, in 3-pane window, also composition)
"Newsgroups" |
1: Creating a Newsgroup Account | incomplete | needs content | yes | Account setup covered, no screenshots, nothing on composition to newsgroup |
| Tips and Tricks | 1: Keyboard Shortcuts TB | incomplete | needs content | yes | We need more articles to cover important ux-efficiency scenarios in this section. |
