Gmail: conversation view now optional

[oz]

Google has finally given us an option to turn OFF conversation view in Gmail:

Turn off Gmail’s conversation view - Official Gmail Blog

I don't know how the rest of you felt about it, but forced conversation view was previously one of the biggest drawbacks to using Gmail for me.

[Bemk]

I'm not going to turn it off, as I use a local client to read my mail.

[oz]

I'm not going to turn it off, as I use a local client to read my mail.

I've turned it OFF for each of my accounts.

This option has been repeatedly requested for years by thousands of users, so not sure why it took them so long to implement it, but the fact that the option is available now makes Gmail a much better webmail client, at least in my opinion.

[tyho]

just wondering: What are the disadvantages you see in conversation view?

I think it's pretty neat, as long as the subject of the emails make any sense. But even then, a conversation called "Hi" is better than 3 emails in your inbox:
"Hi"
"Re: Re: Hi"
"Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi"

Again, I am wondering why you don't like it, maybe there is something I've completely missed.

[elija]

Evolution has a threaded view (which I assume is similar as almost never use my gmail) which I never use as I can never find anything when it's on!

[oz]

Right... I never could find things, either, and simply didn't like the way it was all laid out.

Not having the option to turn it off drove me totally away from gmail but I did keep the accounts active just in case they should decide to allow me more control over my own email. This was a step in the right direction, but it's probably not enough to get me to move back to gmail as my default webmail client.

It's kind of like the ice cream store telling me I can only have my ice cream served with sprinkles. I want the option to have it either way, and actually prefer it without sprinkles.

[trutheality]

I love conversation view, I actually am waiting on the option to merge conversation (and, I suppose, break them apart, but I never felt the need for that).

I don't really see how it is any easier to look for particular emails in the standard view.
I personally either associate content with conversations, or end up using the search bar anyway, but that's just a personal preference.

[Etna]

...the hell?

conversation view is probably the single greatest option gmail had over the competition. i sure as hell don't want to have to deal with the following situation in my inbox

Topic: Important document
Re: Important document
Re Re: Important document
Re Re Re: Important Document
Re Re Re Re: Important Document
Re Re Re Re Re: Important Document

when this is so much cleaner and direct:

<sender email address> Important Document (6)

Especially when you are actually doing real work in an office, where you can get up to the following in a single day:

<sender email address> Important Document (25)

Tell me how the alternative of going through 25 separate emails with the same topic can be more productive and efficient than viewing all 25 messages in a single 'conversation view'.

[elija]

I'm guessing you have never had an email conversation with 3 or 4 people at the same time. As an example, try using these forums in "threaded mode" for a while...

[Jonathan183]

I use clawsmail so don't use the web page but having more options available is good ... so I can pick what works best for me