New sonic.net webmail application

We are pleased to announce that we’re ready for users to test our new webmail application.  It features a modern interface that utilizes ajax and html5 and supports features like drag-and-drop and has a robust plugin system that allows us to extend its functionality.  All of our existing webmail applications will be replaced by the new one on April 22nd.  We encourage users to start using it now – it really is better in just about every way!

For now it is available at https://webmail-beta.sonic.net

Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback in the forums.

 

19 comments for “New sonic.net webmail application

  1. We want just what we have. It is simple and useable and we have no desire to start learning a new system! Please don’t force this change on us!

  2. I hope this isn’t going to interfere with my access method of choice…PUTTY SSH.

    I rarely access my Sonic email via the web.

  3. This is the worst announcement I’ve ever seen from Sonic.net What moon of Pluto are you from?

    1.a Your email says “Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback in the forums.”
    1.b Nary a web link to a forum in the email. Duh!

    2.a I entered the beta and got a screen that asked for some information I knew, and some I didn’t know.
    2.b Display Name — Yes I know what I might say.
    2.d Email — Which email? I have many Sonic email addresses.
    2.e Organization — I have to think about this since I have many identities.
    2.f Signature — I haven’t a clue as to what to put here. No examples. No suggestions.
    2.g I have around 40 domains, all of which route email via Sonic.net
    2.h How will this change affect this?
    2.j YOU MUST REPLY TO THIS EMAIL IN DETAIL.
    2.k You have two choices where my concerns and comments will be posted for ETERNITY:
    2.m http://CustomerFromHeaven.com
    2.n http://CustomerFromHell.com
    2.p You make the choice.
    2.r You ask for the name of my web site.
    2.s My primary home page is http://SomaCat.com/
    2.t My Maui home page is http://MauiCat.com/
    2.u You will see that I am a really nice person but that I do not stay idle when confronted with the disrespect of your post.

    3.a The popup which asked the above questions COULD NOT BE CLOSED!!! How brain dead rude!
    3.b I had to KILL the tab in my Opera Browser.

    4.a No statement of software requirements.
    4.b More specifically — Operating System
    4.c Version, e.g. Windows XP SP3
    4.d Browser — What do you support, or not.
    4.e It seems you don’t like my Opera_1215_int_Setup.exe Build 1215-1748.
    4.f This introduction is SO VERY DUMB that I will not even try it with the many other browsers I use for testing and certification.

    5.a Some few years ago I tried your ATMAIL at
    https://webmail.sonic.net/atmail/
    5.b I did not like it. I did not adopt it.
    5.c Is anyone using it?
    5.d Is it going away, too?

    6.a I have, and continue to RELY upon Squirrel Mail at https://webmail.sonic.net/squirrelmail/src/login.php
    6.b If this goes away I TERMINATE my SONIC relationship. PERIOD. NOT NEGOTIABLE.

    7.a This is a VERY SERIOUS announcement.
    7.b I haven’t seen a word from Dean Jasper.
    7.c Is this a tardy April Fool joke?

    8.a I have been a Sonic DSL client at one or more locations in San Francisco for a VERY LONG time; so long that I can’t remember.

    9.a I am in Maui, Hawai’i now, until sometime in June.
    9.b You give two weeks notice of the cataclysmic change!
    9.c You are out of your ever loving minds!!
    9.d You WILL forward this to Dean.
    9.e You SHOULD BE TERMINATED FOR CAUSE.

    I normally greet people with Aloha which means “love” in Hawaiian.

    I do really wish you the best, but you must fix this and really quickly.

    Aloha,
    Jeffrey

  4. An email was sent out saying the new email system would replace all the old ones on April 22nd and there was a beta version of the new version available.

    I don’t understand why the legacy email systems can’t run simultaneously with the new one. Those of us who access email with those systems may prefer a simpler product without multiple frames and all the bells and whistles.

    One reason I have been with sonic instead of one of the behemoth providers is that there is more flexibility in how to access applications such as email, and, in many cases, a better support model. The announcement that the legacy systems are being discontinued, apparently as a fait accompli, is what I would expect from ATT or Comcast, not from Sonic.

    I request you keep the legacy systems operational. They are simple and work, and should need minimal support. I suspect the volume of support requests on these systems is extremely small, if there are any calls at all.

    Please keep Sonic’s tradition of being USER-FRIENDLY alive.

  5. I notice that password saving is disabled here. Is that something that’s not under your control?

  6. Doug, that’s something we may be able to address. One thing to note is that the application does not log you out automatically like the older applications did.

  7. I tried the beta webmail running in a limited Windows XP virtual machine window provided by my employer. The VM runs in a window that cannot be resized. With SquirrelMail the display fits on the screen. The beta program does not fit, so I must endlessly scroll back and forth, right to left to see the entire screen. Is there an adjustment for this?

  8. I’ve noticed some limited functionality on my iPad. Display doesn’t fit on screen, can’t save and edit identies. Please run the new email program through its paces on an iPad. Thanks!

  9. Wonderful! I found the current/old system quite crude compared to AT&T or Gmail; this is a vast improvement.

    Users to like the old version have nothing to fear; this version just adds very useful features. The upgrades I find most essential:

    (1) Drag-and-drop;
    (2) Adjustable columns (Yes!! Now I can read the subject lines!);
    (3) Buttons (No more clicking on text when the button is only connected to the icon; text and icon are together on the same button).

    Also, additional options to mark or label messages, including color-coding. It’s VERY sweet. And nothing you HAVE to use if you don’t want to.

    Thank you for making this happen!

  10. Oh, I also appreciate the lack of auto-logout, although some users clearly want that.

    My sole grouse would be that the main taskbars/toolbars/whatever they are at the top of the window aren’t adjustable; I have to kill my browser’s sidebar to keep them on my screen.

    But that’s a minor quibble compared to the huge leap in convenience.

  11. Aloha Jeff Bush,

    Mahalo (that’s Hawaiian for “thanks”) for supporting another Jeffrey.

    I have tried every version of web mail that Sonic has provided. I tried ATMAIL — a loser.

    I use many email providers. I have a secret account at xxxxmail.fm for very special needs.

    Squirrel Mail has it’s limits, but:
    1. It works FLAWLESSLY with my Opera browser.
    1.b (Not like those other MicroS**T products.)
    2. It is fast and robust and flexible.
    3. I turned 70 on February 2nd. I don’t need to learn a new email product, ThankYouVeryMuch.

    2. I completely concur with Jeff Bush that you MUST KEEP Squirrel Mail for us old folks.

    3. Please forward my comment to Dane. It’s way too long since I’ve had something to gripe about at Sonic.net. =grin=

    Regards,
    Jeffrey (MauiCat.com) Katz

  12. I like the new email, it looks great with Safari. Is there a way to whitelist mail caught in the graymail folder? Thanks for your work.

    John

  13. (FireFox 3.6.28, nonupgradeable due to ancient OSX and reluctance to re-engineer the entire system) like a couple previous posters, i have a teeny little problem with display width. as noted earlier, the limitation forces me to scroll sideways to see everything. i looked for a little chevron or something that i could click on to temporarily hide the folder column on left or the attachment window on right, allowing the entire message window to expand into the display, but haven’t found it yet. maybe if i surfed on over to the tech support manual for this facility i would find something helpful. anybody got a clue on where to start looking?

  14. okay, so in the wiki at
    https://wiki.sonic.net/wiki/Webmail#Displaying_Messages,
    it says quote:
    Keyboard shortcuts are available to help you work faster. You can access a list of keyboard shortcuts by pressing ? or refer to the list here.
    close quote
    so when i clik on HELP in message view, all i get is the same link,
    https://wiki.sonic.net/wiki/Webmail#Displaying_Messages
    and i guess i am just a dummy cuz i do not understand HOW ‘Keyboard Shortcuts’ at the bottom of that page are supposed to be executed. is one supposed to press Alt+ the specified character or what. inquiring minds want to know.
    furthermore this HELP section is titled “Mailbox View” but doesn’t say anything about how to collapse or expand folders box or attachments box to give the Mailbox View more room on the display. ??

  15. hmmm, referring to the previous question i posted, through trial & error i discovered that the aforementioned ‘keyboard shortcuts’ appear to be in fact as straightforward as listed (and a popup list can be invoked by clicking the ‘shortcuts’ button at the bottom of the message listing). one merely presses the appropriate shortcut key (no alt or other directive key required) and the corresponding operation happens.
    my question about display width however remains unanswered…

  16. Chris, I’m glad you sorted out the business with the shortcuts.

    Regarding on-the-fly adjustments to the layout, you can drag the borders of individual panes to expand or contract them, but only to a point. The folders listing always shows while in mailbox view. The preview pane can be collapsed more completely through use of the collapse/expand button on the right-hand side between the listing and the preview itself.

    To maximize screen space used by the contents of a message itself, double-click on it in the message list. This will get rid of the message listing (but not the folder listing, which should remain at the width you left it at).

  17. How does one access their calendar with the new email program? Am I missing something?

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