The purge process does NOT delete messages out of your trash folder. So you can safely allow automatic compact.

If "purge" doesn't mean delete, then what DOES it do?

It's a bit hard to explain. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/compacting-folders attempts to.

"purge" is a technical term in the context of the "cleanup" process, and so doesn't mean deleting in the way that a user thinks of as deleting a message.

I was a Computer Consultant for forty years. If they'd stated they wanted to "compact" the folder, like they did in previous versions, I'd have known exactly what they meant. Though saving 20mb of disk space on a 500gb SSD, doesn't do a whole lot except cause unwanted writes to the disk, so I'd still like know how to stop the nag. BTW, I discovered the answer on my own, but I'd still like to know why there is such a reluctance to give the instructions.

Agreed, 20mb is a pittance these days. That's why two years ago the default value was changed to 200mb https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1462666

Unfortunately most users misunderstand compact in this context to mean compression, eg. zip. So we decided to try purge, which seems to have alarmed some people - though we've really not heard many complaints.

Frankly I'd prefer that the prompt not be presented by default and just made automatic - users shouldn't need to care about, but still needs to be done. But that hasn't happened yet.

What form of instructions or wording would you suggest, that would convey what is being done, without stressing the user?

I delete old messages myself. I only have 60 days worth of messages in my trash folder. Yet I'm still getting the nag. Your answers are avoiding giving the instructions I'm asking for and I don't know why. I don't want your excuses for the nag, I want step by step instructions for stopping them!!! Very simple, quit givint excuses and start giving instructions!!!!!!!!

Bottom line. I get one more post explaining why the reason for the nag, instead of how to stop it, and I'm going to post this entire dialog on every social media site there is.

> how to stop it

The "Compact Folders" dialog states it twice, in the second sentence, and in the line with the checkbox.

More simply, do this step by step. 1. mark the checkbox next to "Remove message deletions automatically and do not ask me" 2. click Proceed

And again, this does not touch mail in your trash folder. You have full control over deleting what is in trash.