Date   : Wed, 27 Jul 2005 12:03:32 +0200 (BST)
From   : Johan Heuseveldt <johan@...>
Subject: Re: Adressing posts

Hi Greg,

On Tue 26 Jul, Greg Cook wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 15:14:08 +0000, Jules Richardson

[snip]

> > 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

Just had a brief look, and yes, much is in favour of this document. I
also realise, being accustomed to the Reply-To being munged for mailing
list purposes, that I've forgotten about the Follow-Up. As the list
functions as a usenet group, using email as a transport medium, the
Follow-Up is better suited. But for the sake of 'fail safe', that
wouldn't pass (your & document's) approval either I guess.

It's not having anything at all that helps with responding to the list,
that I found at least a bit odd. It's indeed the only mailing list I know,
taking this stategy.

As one of the arguments is the loss of the original Reply-To, not for
its own sake but the possible loss of any trail of the original poster,
munging the Reply-To could just be preceded by changing the original to
the form X-Reply-To. Argument binned, 99 to go!

But seriously, if the arguments for /not/ having certain mailing list
specific headers for /this/ mailing list have really been thought
over, then I'm in no position to counter that any longer. I'll just
need to learn to cope with that.

Time for a better mailer, I suppose, in which a certain email addess
can be classified as a mailing list address, which would solve my
problem nicely and easily! :-)

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

In the end it's the list owner/administrator that determines how his
list is setup, and which procedures are there to be followed. Allthough a
different defenition I've seen for list owner is list owners; plural: all
of of us who contribute to the list. :-)

Point(s) taken. I'll don't come back on it again.


regards,
Johan

-- 
Johan Heuseveldt <johan@...              >
  aka  waarland

  The best place is a Riscy place
 
When hammering a nail, you will never hit your
finger if you hold the hammer with both hands.