On 0, Josh Rehman <java.josh@verizon.net> wrote:
[snip]
> The arguments in this link are fallacious. First, reply-all usually
> includes both the original sender and the group address, resulting in
> the default behavior of sending a reply to the original poster twice,
> which is (quite properly) contradicted by this list's code of conduct.
> Second, the author at once implores the list owners to educate their
> users about this common mailer feature and then bemoans a case where he
> personally sent private mail to one of his own lists. Perhaps it would
> be better to educate users about simply not sending personal email to a
> mailing list?
>
> Those 'principles' are pure sophistry. He makes up fancy names for his
> opinions and then claims, "Aha, look how this 'principle' is violated.
> Shocking!"
I have not read the link recently, but from what has been said about
it I assume it is the same link as I was pointed to when I raised this
issue. I disagree that the arguments are all falacious. He simply
uses a real mail client, which you evidently don't. <quick check>Ah,
yes, you're in the outhouse...
> I am on several mailing lists, most of which set the reply-to header to
> the list itself. This is much more convenient than having to crop my own
> headers every time I want to post something! I have not run into any
> trouble. I can always reach the OP if I want.
Yes, but I can reach the OP if I want, and I can reply to the list if
I want, and they are both single keystrokes. Reply-to is intended for
something else, for someone who wants mail sent to an address
different to what their From: header says. There are valid reasons
for wishing this, and so my mailer honors it. But if a mailing list
sets reply-to, then I have *lost* functionality - I can no longer
reply to either the OP or the list in one keystroke. To reply to the
OP I now have to copy/paste or type by hand his address.
So your argument comes down to this:
* Your email client does not provide functionality you would like it to.
* There are other email clients that do provide this functionality.
* There are ways of munging headers that make your email client look
a bit like it has this functionality (although actually only half
of it).
* This munging is at the expense of functionality enjoyed by people
who use more capable mail clients.
* Screw everyone else, you're gonna stick to your outmoded mail
client and use an outrageous hack to get single click reply-to-list
functions, no matter that it annoys the hell out of other people.
More or less?
> If there are N users posting on average M messages to a mailing list
> every week, and it takes 5 seconds to edit the headers, that is NxM/720
> hours per week wasted. Even conservative values for N and M yield
> disturbing results.
There are on average something like 180 messages on this list in my
inbox each day. So there is a combined total of fifteen minutes
wasted each day between everyone who posts to this list. I am not yet
disturbed, especially since I use a semi-sane mail client that lets me
reply to the list, using the headers defined for that purpose, in a
single keystroke.
Tom
--
Tom Cook
Information Technology Services, The University of Adelaide
Why are Fire Engines Red?
They have four wheels and eight men; four plus eight is twelve.
Twelve inches make a ruler; a ruler is Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth sails the seven seas; the seven seas have fish.
The fish have fins; the Finns hate the Russians.
The Russians are red; fire engines are always rushin'.
So they're red.
Get my GPG public key: https://pinky.its.adelaide.edu.au/~tkcook/tom.cook-at-adelaide.edu.au
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