The request was missing a required parameter. The URL used to flatten a list needs to have both subject= and list=. See the instructions below.

1. Add a link to an email in the W3C Archives to the first input field above.

   The link must start with https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/.

   The flattener will return a set of emails with a matching subject. To find the original email in context click on 'Jump' at the top right of the page.

2. Enter a subject line and a list name in the fields above.

   The flattener will search the list for mails with subject lines that match.

   You do not need to remove 'Re:' or 'Fwd:'. You can search on just part of a subject line, too. If you do not provide a list name, the flattener will search all lists.

The flattener returns a maximum of 100 messages, ordered chronologically. It is not restricted by the monthly to 3-monthly silos in which the archive tracks threads.

Click on the Options link, bottom right, for alternative style sheets or on the triangle to change the order of messages. Play with the other words on the UI to discover additional functionality.

See an example.

See more usage tips

To reveal or hide quoted text.

Click on the grey background in the message body. Alternatively, click on Full|Brief to the side of the message to open or close all quotes for that message only. Click on Full|Brief at the top of the page to apply to all messages in the thread.

To collapse a message to just the gravatar image and the message header.

Click on the message header. Click again to undo. To collapse or expand all items in the page, click on the right-facing triangle, top right, and select Collapse all or Expand all.

To find out when the email was received by the archive in UTC time.

Click More to the side of the message, or mouse over the time given in the message title to reveal a tool tip. (The time displayed in the message title shows the date and time the person sent the email in their own system locale.)

To align a given message with the top of the page.

Click on the gravatar image for the message. (You'll see the cursor change.)

To capture a link to a given message in this page.

Click on the title bar for the message and look in the browser's address bar, or click on More to the side of the message.

To find an assortment of links to the mail archive.

Click More to the side of the message to link to various groups of emails to which this message belongs. To view the original message in the archive, click on Source to the left of the message.

To reply to a message.

Click on Reply to the side of the message. The mail form that opens should have all the to and cc information filled in, as well as the subject. You may want to trim the to and cc fields.

To find the message you started from, when you added a URL to the input field.

Click on Jump at the top right. (Jump only appears if you invoke a thread using a URL.)

To sort the messages in forward or reverse chronological order.

Click on the triangle at the bottom right. A triangle pointing up means that the oldest message is at the bottom of the list. A downwards pointing triangle means that the oldest message is at the top. Your choice will be remembered by the browser until you change it, ie. even you return to the flattener at a later date, or invoke another thread.

To apply a different style to the page.

Click on Styles at the bottom right, then click on the style options at the left of the panel that appears. Your choice will be remembered by the browser until you change it.