Date   : Tue, 26 Jul 2005 19:35:50 +0100 (BST)
From   : Greg Cook <debounce@...>
Subject: Re: Adressing posts

On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 15:14:08 +0000, Jules Richardson
<julesrichardsonuk@...> wrote:

> On Tue, 2005-07-26 at 14:53 +0200, Johan Heuseveldt wrote:
> > Dear all,
> > 
> > Please all, don't address posts to both the list and a person too,
> with
> > its personal address. Mailers are different, and so is their
> behaviour:
> > Most likely you'll end up with two messages, or just one at the
> wrong
> > place (user/folder).
> 
> That's why it'd be *really* nice to have the mailing list headers
> changed, so that default behaviour was for a reply to go to the list.
> This mailing list seems pretty unique in not having things set up
> like
> that :-(

Please, no.

You realise of course, that the list is only bearable because of this
default.  It "fails safe" against accidental posting, by requiring a
conscious action to reply.  No flame war intended, but imagine the
volume of "inappropriate" messages seen last month, every month...

The "Principle of least surprise" section of this essay is particularly
relevant:
http://www.unicom.com/pw/reply-to-harmful.html

(For balance, there is a response to that article:
http://www.blackgate.net/consulting/reply-to_munging_useful.html )

Greg Cook
debounce@...
http://homepages.tesco.net/~rainstorm/


       
       
               
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