On Thu, Jan 23, 2003 at 02:34:49PM +0100, Adrian 'Dagurashibanipal' von Bidder said: > > Problem with Reply-To: headers and mailing lists is that *some* mailing > lists modify it. This was one reason that mft was created. IIRC there > were others, in connection with the meaning of Reply-To: being not > specified clearly enough. The primary problem is that Reply-To: directs that all replies should go to a specific address, and the fact is that MOST replies should go to the list, and some should go to the sender. But since Reply-To: is used when the sender address is not intended to receive even private replies, setting it to the list effectively disallows the possibility of private replies unless one's mailer deliberately disobeys Reply-To:. Any decent mailer will, of course, but people insist on using stupid mailers for some incomprehensible reason. Mailing lists really aren't accounted for properly in RFC 822, and we're carrying that baggage around now. But the Reply-To: folks insist it's OK that manual action be required by the broken-mailer folks, yet don't accept that same argument in regards to the Mail-Followup-To: header. I guess it all comes down to which you think is worse: Accidentally sending a private reply to the list, or accidentally sending a public reply privately? Personally, I think the former is worse. Duplicates don't bother me as much as misdirected private replies, but then I don't pay directly[1] for increased bandwidth usage. Were I paying per minute charges, I suspect I'd have a different viewpoint. [1] Yes, I know I pay for it indirectly. That's why I said "directly". Indirect charges are usually provably smaller, all one need do is compare one's monthly bill with that of a per-minute-charge afflictee. -- "Under no circumstances will I ever purchase anything offered to me as the result of an unsolicited email message. Nor will I forward chain letters, petitions, mass mailings, or virus warnings to large numbers of others. This is my contribution to the survival of the online community." - Roger Ebert, "The Boulder Pledge"
Attachment:
pgpmocbPcVQcV.pgp
Description: PGP signature