[OT] Mail and List Reply (was: Re: [Proj] A problem with this list)

[Markus Schaber]

Hi, Ed,

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:21:27 -0500
"Ed McNierney" <ed at topozone.com> wrote:

> From: Gerald Evenden <gerald.evenden at verizon.net>
> > I find that if I do a "reply" to this list I only end up only a reply to
> > the author of the email rather than the list.  Most other list I do a
> > reply to generate a To address to the list.
> > 
> > To overcome this I have to do a "Reply All" which sends a message to
> > both the author and the list.  A bit of over-kill.
>
> The limitation of the "reply is to all" feature is that it's difficult
> to do the opposite - reply ONLY to the sender, when appropriate.  Most
> mail programs have a "Reply" and "Reply to All" button, and lists like
> this one let you select which you want - but you do have to make that
> selection.
> 
> I believe most of the lists I participate in have received at least one
> complaint wishing that they worked "the other way"!

It is in fact wrong to munge the Reply-To: Header to point to the list.
The purpose of the Reply-To: Header is to redirect the Authors From:
adress to a different one for Replies.

But there are Headers like X-BeenThere or List-Id that indicate a
mailing list and redirect Replies to the list. This list sets both of
them correctly, and my Mailer honours it.

My mailer has, as every sane mailer, at three Reply buttons: Reply,
Reply to All and Reply to Autor. 

Reply to Author uses the Adresses from Reply-To: if present, and the
From: Header if not. Reply replies to the list whenever list headers are
present, and does as Reply-To Author otherwise. Reply to all copies the
adresses from Reply-To:, From:, To:, Cc: and maybe others.

So, IMHO this list does the correct thing, and I sadly have to say that
Ed and Gerald might have to change their MUA, or fix them to honour the
list headers.

As this discussion is very old, and already came to the same conclusion
multiple times, I would say it's best to close this topic here.

For a full discussion, see http://marc.merlins.org/netrants/listreplyto.html

Thanks,
Markus
-- 
markus schaber | dipl. informatiker
logi-track ag | rennweg 14-16 | ch 8001 zürich
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