Provide Mail Archive Links and Improved Default E-Mail Subjects

Hi,
   Considering the amount of repetition recieved on this list with 
people having problems with the same error messages, I think it would be 
useful to provide a link from each error message, to a search for 
e-mails relating to the same error.  Each error has a number associated 
with it, as can be seen in default e-mail subjects provided by the 
mailto: links, so a simple link to a search of the archives for e-mails 
contining the string "[VE][###]" should do the trick (where ### 
represents the error number).

eg. This link will search for e-mails relating to error 127 (required 
attribute not specified)
http://www.w3.org/Search/Mail/Public/search?type-index=www-validator&index-type=t&keywords=%5BVE%5D%5B127%5D&search=Search

   It would save a lot of repetition and encourage users to search the 
archives more often.

Secondly, can something be done about the default e-mail subjects 
provided by the mailto: links with each error.  It's difficult to 
remember what each error is by the error number, which is made extra 
difficult by some of the poorly written requests for help that often 
don't provide a URI, nor a detailed description of the error message.

For example, instead of an e-mail subject like:
   [VE][344] Error Message Feedback, or
   [VE][127] Error Message Feedback
Something like
   [VE][344] No DOCTYPE
   [VE][127] Required Attribute "TYPE" Not Specified
   [VE][127] Required Attribute "ALT" Not Specified

Doing this will also help users with searching the archives because they 
can find responses relating to, for example, the particular attribute or 
element they are having difficulty with.

-- 
Lachlan Hunt
http://lachy.id.au/
http://GetFirefox.com/    Rediscover the Web
http://SpreadFirefox.com/   Igniting the Web

Received on Sunday, 19 December 2004 12:14:21 UTC