On Thu, 19 Nov 1998, murr rhame wrote:
> Misdirected email is embarassing. Over the years, I've done it more
> than once. In the most embarassing misdirected email incident I've
I don't know if I've ever sent a "simple" mis-directed message, but I do
have a very small digest of my list which rather than being done
automatically, is done manually by me each day. I once included a rather
"personal" message from someone to me in with the digest mail. (g) I
figured "what the heck." It was only embarassing to me and I figured no
one would comment. They didn't, but I've always made sure I looked more
carefully after that. That's the way we learn. We fall down, pick
ourselves back up and keep on going.
> Even if you don't screw up, someone else may screw it up for you. No
> matter where you send your email, chances are good that some of it
> will be seen by "the wrong person".
Very good point actually. If you WANT all of the replies to go "to the
list" as I and my fellow list-members do, most will get it right if the
"reply-to" field is set to the list. If the other way around, much of the
mail meant "for the list" would be sent personally by mistake.
OTOH, if the "reply-to" is left in the default it is less likely that a
personal message will be sent "to the list." Either way, SOMONE is going
to screw it up. As I said in a previous message, I do have "reply-to" set
to the list as I and my list want it. I've never had anyone's personal
reply make it to the list (I don't think) or if it did it wasn't anything
really embarassing. One guy, however, ALWAYS winds up sending "list mail"
to the "sender" anyway eve with the "reply-to" set to "list." No matter
how you do it, someone will get it wrong. The heck of it is that the one
person who always gets it wrong is very intelligent and has been told the
right way to do it by many people. Perhaps it is his mailer (I don't know
what he uses). Regardless, he NEVER gets it right and hasn't for years.
OH well. (g)
> The standard setup for all discussion mailing lists which I host is to
> have the Reply To: pointing to the list address and the From: line
> pointing to the author. For a viable discussion list, you're going to
Same here. It works for me and my list. That's all that counts. I have no
problem with those who feel otherwise. I think it is up to the individual
list. There are some, however, who feel it should be only one way (theirs
-g) or nothing. I know. I've heard the arguments. I can only say I've
never had a problem, YET. If I do, I'll change it.
> I've seen several discussion on this topic before. Those who have a
> preference, tend to have very strong convictions. I doubt that anyone
> will change their position based on a few emails seen on a list-admin
> mailing list or an editorial posted on the web. Choose the setup you
> think is best for your list. Don't worry about how other lists are
> set up. Be happy.
Exactly. This same discussion rears its ugly head every few months with
the same results.
--
Regards,
"Big Ray the Cab Driver" Jones - Licensed Tour Guide ICQ UIN 1473313
Author of "The Complete Idiot's Travel Guide to New Orleans"
ISBN 0-02-862303-7
Disseminating info about New Orleans & Louisiana via my web page at
http://www.neosoft.com/~rayjones/welcome.html
or you can join "Big Ray's" New Orleans Mailing List by sending:
subscribe noml To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
/"\
\ /
X ASCII Ribbon campaign against HTML Usenet posts and e-mail
/ \
