GMail practical guide

These are some suggestions for GMail usage considerably unique from other email systems.

Also, purple colour denotes featrues that we would avoid when send out to people in other email systems!

 This blog is still under ongoing revision, any suggestion/feedback please leave as comment -- thank you :)

---

To correspond mail

1. Determine whether we'd rather revise the subject, or add our reply into conversation thread of the original subject.
2. Decide history's header either reply or forward form:
1. Reply:  There's only "On {date/time}, {sender} wrote:" with history quoted (with vertical line on left margin), but GMail preloads To/CC to the new mail.
2. Forward:  Mail header is retained so that new recipients are clear that previously what was subject (if modified, or we can delete it off if subject is unchanged) and who were addressed.
3. Consider to remove unnecessary quoted history
1. Unless we forward to new recipients, whole history is already in conversation thread.
• Alternatively, forward necessary history to new recipients first.  Then we can now send another mail as reply to both old & new recipients with specific context.
2. With recipients already existing in conversation thread, partial history quoting may be still useful as short reference: i.e., what context we are replying about.
• [writer's opinion: So, that's why default form of reply has whole history preloaded but as in-line quoted text (blank beginning / quoted history / ending signature), in order to let us remove unnecessary portions off from reply.] 

To utilise conversation thread

• Prerequisite for the first sender: define subject wisely.  Avoid specifying date or release such as "tomorrow", "this Friday", "week of Feb.15'10", "version 1.23.4" -- unless we really mean that specific event.
• Keep reviewing To/CC lists.
• A thread can have various people groups addressed.  They can see whole thread inequally. 
• Use contact group and reduce addressing unnecessary individuals, to utilise mute function.
• Maintain thread by not changing subject. 
• Instead of adding word such as "update", "revise", "additional info" to original subject; rather put it at first line of new message.  It will be displayed in snippet next to subject in mail-list view.
• Reply/forward with only necessary portion quoted history: such as to quote part in responding, or when include new recipients.
• Look for utilising [Reply by chat] feature.  Notice that it's not only for chatting back to sender, but can be sender chats to recipient (such as to follow up; in case there's only single one in To list) too.
• Even when compose new mail, reconsider whether it can be a reply or supplement of any existing thread.
• It is possible that we copy mail of a thread (reply/forward, select all, copy) and put into (paste) new mail of another thread.  By this way we can leave some/redundant threads of same topic and keep better one ongoing.

However, also consider to split to new thread (edit subject to define new one) when:-

• Conversation becomes so deviated from origin.
• Original subject is poorly specified or is not designed to be series.
• Mixing various people groups becomes so sensitive: e.g., a series of quality reports distributed among various suppliers/customers.

Is beginning "Dear ...," line practical?

• When responding to a conversation thread, it may be unnecessary to be such formal and better utilise snippet's text.
• However, GMail display mail header poorly (both its one-line and show-details formats).  So, at first time introducing the topic, sender should consider to add Dear/CC scope in mail body (so recipient needn't click [show details] to determine his/her involvement).

Use shortcuts & function keys
Somewhere I've ever learned that GMail is not designed for beauty but efficiency.  Learning keyboard shortcuts (to enable in settings) and function keys, it solves several requirements than requesting additional buttons or UI enhancement (richer UI features, slower performance).

Remember, we have ten fingers with full keyboard, not only mouse.

Want to ...	Do this ...	Remark
Go to top/bottom of long page (such as long expand-all conversation)	Ctrl-Home/End	Someones request that command zone (above conversation) stays available while scrolling.
Scroll up/down quicker	PgUp/PgDn	Instead of rolling mouse-wheel.
Go to next/previous message in thread	n (next), p (previous)	Don't waste eyes scanning top(beginning) of each message.
Go to next *inbox*	` (back-quote)	In case we enable "Multiple inboxes" feature. ** No excuse for ones who keep using old-poor implementation of Thai-keyboard switching }:)
Go to certain GMail folder/view	g ...	Check avialable choices from Help (?).
Go to view of a label	g l ...
Go to Search field	/
Go to Chat search-field	q
Go to somewhere but still in editing window/field	Esc	In editing area, pressing shortcut key just only inputs character into edited text.

Nonetheless (and vice versa), apart from keyboard shortcuts, there are several command shortcuts too.

Want to ...	Do this ...
Find recent conversations of a person	Move mouse over the name in mail header.  When person profile box pops up, choose: [Video & more |Recent conversations] Also same method with name in chat list.
Move to label	Drag instead of open/select(x), [move to] ...; given that the label is not hidden.
Go to a label of currently-opened mail/conversation	Click at the label listed next to subject line at the top of page.

Et-cetera

• As long as currently there's no option to remove (detach) attachment yet, do not keep its downloaded copy.  Simply use and delete it off (from local hard-disc).  Note that, anyway, it is retained in Recycle Bin until we empty it.