[Alpine-info] [OT] finishing Gmail side topic

[Mike Miller]

On Sat, 7 Mar 2009, P Kapat wrote:


> On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 3:37 PM, Mike Miller <mbmiller+l at gmail.com> wrote:

> [snip]

> > A big part of the problem with Gmail is that it does not display plain text

> > in a fixed-width font.  This is quite astonishing when you consider all the

> > implications and that Google people are computer geniuses.  The

> [snip]

> 

> You may know that there is a "Fixed width font" lab feature in gmail?

> http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-labs?pli=1

> http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-labs-help-fixed-width-font/topics

> 

> If you enable it from your gmail lab's page, then a "Show in fixed width 

> font" appears as part of the little drown menu on the right-top corner 

> of every message (one where, reply all, forward, print, show 

> original,...etc exists)



I couldn't figure this out for a long while -- I found the Google Groups 
for it but it doesn't tell me there how to enable it.  So for dummies like 
me, here it is:

You have to go into "Settings" in Gmail where there is a "Labs" tab, and 
in that tab is a list of options, one of which is "Fixed width font", 
which you must enable, then go to the bottom or top of the page and click 
the "Save Changes" button.

That works, but it has drawbacks:

(1) it does not affect the composer, which sorely needs fixed-width font

(2) the default is still to display plain text messages in a 
proportional-spaced font, so to see such a message in fixed-width font 
requires two mouse clicks

The GreaseMonkey script is better in the sense that it is always on and 
does not have to be enabled.  It only affects plain-text messages and 
leaves the rest alone.  No mouse clicks are required.  It can be disabled 
very easily by clicking the little monkey on the lower right corner of the 
Firefox window.  The limitation of GreaseMonkey scripting as an approach 
to the Gmail problem is that it doesn't work with other browsers, just 
Firefox, and it only works where you have installed it.  The Gmail lab is 
always available no matter what browser or computer you are using.

Mike