Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2022 April 29

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April 29

Autodelete emails periodically

Hello! Is there any free way to autodelete emails in a specific label in my Gmail periodically? - Klein Muçi (talk) 11:42, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

You can create a filter for this purpose. Ruslik_Zero 19:22, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

@Ruslik0, I'm not sure how I can create a filter that deletes them periodically. :/ If deleting with a filter is even a possibility I suspect they will get deleted immediately. - Klein Muçi (talk) 23:46, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

You can read about some solutions here. Ruslik_Zero 13:36, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

@Ruslik0, thanks a lot for providing the link! After I read it I saw that unfortunately I had seen it before and the problem with it was this part:

...The title of this article is dealing with automatic deletion. Unfortunately, filters cannot be triggered automatically. You will need to go back and once again apply the filter to your current inbox.

That's the main thing I'm trying to achieve. - Klein Muçi (talk) 16:38, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

This means that you need to use external tools. Ruslik_Zero 19:38, 1 May 2022 (UTC)

@Ruslik0, well, yeah. I'd use them if I had them. So far I've only found 1 website that offered that kind of service but you could only set up 1 delete filter for free. - Klein Muçi (talk) 02:33, 2 May 2022 (UTC)

You can always create an Apps Script. Ruslik_Zero 08:43, 2 May 2022 (UTC)

@Ruslik0, ooh, I knew nothing about this at all. That's very interesting. Now if only I had a default preset-script for what I want... I can fine-tune it to my wish I believe but I'm not that good in developing as to write it from scratch. - Klein Muçi (talk) 11:18, 2 May 2022 (UTC)

I wrote something similar years ago and it needs some updating with the new way google code works (the code works, but it does not automatically execute every week anymore), but this does something like you described:

function autoDelete() {
  var delayDays = 7 // Enter # of days before messages are moved to trash
  var maxDate = new Date();
  maxDate.setDate(maxDate.getDate()-delayDays);
  var label = GmailApp.getUserLabelByName("Reclame"); // all the semi-spam already separated gets deleted after a few days.
  var threads = label.getThreads();
  for (var i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
    if (threads[i].getLastMessageDate()<maxDate)
      {
        threads[i].moveToTrash();
      }
  }
}

hope it helps you.Rmvandijk (talk) 11:13, 3 May 2022 (UTC)

@Rmvandijk, thanks a lot!

I did this. I was asked for permission to access my Gmail which I gave. Beside that I did nothing. I hit run and after waiting a bit for it to finish executing, I saw that some of my emails with that label specified were deleted. Is there all that needs to be done? I knew nothing about Google Scripts so I'm kinda following instructions blindly here.

Will that work all the time periodically?

If I want to specify more than 1 label, do I just separate them with commas? - Klein Muçi (talk) 17:57, 3 May 2022 (UTC)

Maybe I should just create a trigger?

Commas don't work as delimiters in GS apparently. - Klein Muçi (talk) 18:08, 3 May 2022 (UTC)

@Rmvandijk, apparently the trigger was the answer for the autorun. Tried triggering it out on every minute for testing purposes and it worked as intended. The only thing left now is the multiple labels problem. After a bit of experimentation and digging around I kinda have the feeling that the way the script is currently set up it only allows for 1 label to be selected. If that's true, what changes would I need to make so it works on multiple labels? - Klein Muçi (talk) 02:09, 4 May 2022 (UTC)

@Klein Muçi, The trigger stopped working for me when google updated the way the scripts work (and the name changed, but not sure about that). As far as I know, the scripts use JavaScript. You can make arrays in this, but the part where it gets threads (mail conversations) from this already makes an array, so you'd have to change quite a bit. I build this from a template way back so other users may have a better understanding of how to do that. My solution is more low-tech: make and deploy multiple scripts, each for one folder. Alternatively, in this script copy everything from the var label = downwards and replace the label names in each to run several for loops consequently. Be careful with this, don't accidentally delete your entire mailbox! Rmvandijk (talk) 08:59, 4 May 2022 (UTC)

Okay then. Thank you! You've helped me quite a lot as this was a problem I've been trying to solve for quite some months now considering that there may be days I get around 50 emails per day from my WikiWork. If you ever find yourself having a bit of extra times, maybe you can rewrite it in a more elegant fashion to make the array way work without having to replicate code.

In regard to your experience, as I said, I just created the script with your code here, named and saved it, run it and it asked for some permissions in regard to my Gmail which I gave. After that I set up the triggers using the web interface (no code, just button pressing) and that was it. Maybe if you remake that procedure as well it may work even for you. - Klein Muçi (talk) 09:13, 4 May 2022 (UTC)

@Rmvandijk, maybe you can help even with this request? I thought I'd try out my luck. - Klein Muçi (talk) 01:02, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

@Klein Muçi Unfortunately that's outside my area of expertise. The google code was already pushing it, and that isn't the most complicated one. Rmvandijk (talk) 13:35, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

@Rmvandijk, no problem. Thank you again for what you provided, it did really help me a lot! :) - Klein Muçi (talk) 13:49, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

processor - suitable for intended use?

I'm considering buying a laptop with an Intel Core i3-1005G1 processing unit.

Intended use will be for office suite, internet, maybe some streaming in the future, etc., no gaming, no video editing, only marginal image editing. For ecological reasons, however, the laptop is intended to be used for 10 years if nothing vital breaks before.

Is the Intel Core i3-1005G1 processing unit suitable for that use... and do you think it will remain so for the next 10 years? [I don't want to throw away a laptop in 7 years because the CPU is not strong enough...] All other specifications are fine for the intended use.

Thanks. Thanks. Thanks for answering (talk) 21:39, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

It's hard to say and my cynical answer is probably not. The issue is that the internet and whatever the web morphs into will be more and more demanding of cpu as hardware gets faster. I'd just get something durable and not too expensive and with a 3 year warranty. If you use it a lot, it will have developed some problems towards the end of the 3 years. Get those fixed under the warranty and maybe you can get another couple of years use before you need another upgrade. That's about the best you can hope for. I've done basically this several times. Alternatively, buy a used laptop on craigslist, and use it til it breaks or isn't keeping up any more. That at least temporarily avoids the environmental impact of a new laptop being manufactured so that you can buy it. 2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:4671 (talk) 04:01, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

Maybe. I'm still using i7s and Xeons that were released 10 years ago. But I'd recomend getting a somewhat more powerful CPU, if you can. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 05:12, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

When Windows bloats to the point that you machine cannot run it, try changing to a Linux desktop. The processor and memory load is significantly less and you can get several more years out of a machine by changing OS. Mind you, some people, myself included, would prefer to get a machine without paying the "windows tax" and install Linux from scratch! Martin of Sheffield (talk) 07:55, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

Some people, myself included, think that Windows is great. And I am a computer programmer by profession. I'm also wary of recommending, without evidence, that any random unknown person should switch to Linux, or Unix, or macOS, or anything else. I wouldn't recommend that a Java programmer should switch to writing code in x86 assembler, or Python, or Lisp. I would not recommend that you should start speaking entirely in French. Would you recommend a specific car model to someone you don't know? If someone asked your opinion of a specific BMW sedan, would you say "You should get a Ford F-150 single-cab pickup truck" without knowing anything about the person -- such as whether or not they have a teenager, a toddler, and an infant in their family who need to be driven around? Different people have different needs. My Mom, for example, does a lot of what the OP says they will do -- and my Mom would HATE Linux. A blanket recommendation that everyone should get Linux with no further knowledge about their preferences or computer usage patterns just seems ... weird. 73.127.147.187 (talk) 06:21, 4 May 2022 (UTC)