[ale] Re: Reply-To controversy -- off list

[Joseph Knapka]

[Reposted to list :-]

Sean Kilpatrick <kilpatms at mindspring.com> writes:

> On Monday 21 April 2003 04:06 pm, you wrote:
> >  It seems quite obvious to me that the proper
> > solution to this issue is to make the list management software
> > send Reply-To headers only to those subscribers who want to see it.
> > That way, everyone can have the behavior they want and continue to
> > use the client they like.
> 
> In the "old" days <grin> there was no such thing as a REPLY
> button. From what I _think_ you are saying, people have gotten
> so used to their automatic transmissions that they can not
> tolerate having to manually shift the gears and, horrors of
> horrors, actually use a clutch. <VBG>
> Hell:  I thought everyone on this list was an uber-geek -- scorning
> the GUIs that make my life so much easier and using the 
> command line to run everything. <grin>
> If I am understanding you, a lot of folks on this list don't
> want to cut-and-paste an e-mail address.
> 
> I am stunned at this realization.
> 
> Of course if the change is made, then those who have opted for
> the change will have to do something different if they want their
> response to be seen by the entire list. My fear is that a great
> deal of useful data will disappear from the list. Technical responses
> will be sent "off-list" and I and others that might learn a thing or
> two will remain ignorant.

I don't think you need to worry about that. The people who want
reply-to-poster want it *because* they are used to replying to list by
hitting reply-all (which is what they'll almost always do), but they
want the option of replying to the poster when the thread is stuff
like "[OT] Please recommend a good hemhorroid medication".

And it's true that this is a *really* trivial issue - it amounts to
jealousy by one camp over the other camp's ability to reply the way
they want to with *one* click instead of *two*, or a click plus some
typing. Yeah, it's stupid.

But the *real* issue is this: I've seen more list traffic in the past
year devoted to this subject than to *any* other single topic. Every
single list I'm subscribed to has undergone multiple Reply-To Munging
Flamewars in the past twelve months.

It has to stop. End the insanity. Stop the violins. Visualize whirled
peas. Use the fork, Luke; you're just too clumsy with the
chopsticks. Etc. Ok, this paragraph isn't really intended to make
sense.

Cheers,

-- Joe Knapka
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