Mailing List Archive

Stephen Turner wrote:
> On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, Michael Muller wrote:
> >
> > BTW, Stephan, replies are set to go back to the author, instead of back to
> > the list. Was that done on purpose?
>
> No, it's the default. Does anyone know what other similar mailing lists
> do? Or does anyone have a view what this one should do?

i very strongly prefer lists that have the
mailing list itself as the Reply-To: address.
in my experience, it's much more likely to
want to reply to the mailing list as a whole
than to just the single poster. thus, it's
a time-waster to have replies set to the poster
rather than the mailing list.

very satisfied user of analog, Steve
--
Steve Lane <sml@zfx.com, webmaster@zfx.com>
All the trademarks mentioned in this document are
the property of their respective owners.
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People should choose "reply to all" or similar options, to make
a reply go to the list and the sender.

I manage the commercial listserv product here at GSA and it
has a list header option called "Reply-to" and one can choose
options like reply to list, or sender, etc.

Perhaps your list software has something similar?



From: "stephen turner" <sret1@mathstat.uottawa.ca> AT internet
on 12/01/98 09:45 AM

To: analog-help@lists.isite.net AT internet@ccMTA-GEMS-CO-01
cc: (bcc: Mark S. Kaprow/KGMP/CO/GSA/GOV)

Subject: analog-help: Reply to whom?


On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, Michael Muller wrote:
>
> BTW, Stephan, replies are set to go back to the author,
instead of back to
> the list. Was that done on purpose?
>

No, it's the default. Does anyone know what other similar
mailing lists do? Or does anyone have a view what this one
should do? The only other similar list I know about is
debian-user@lists.debian.org which has the same behaviour as
this one. But I do find myself changing the To: line whenever I
reply to messages on this list, which is a bit inconvenient.

--
Stephen Turner sret1@cam.ac.uk
http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~sret1/
Normally: Statistical Laboratory, 16 Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2
1SB, England Until 12/98: Dept of Math & Stats, 585 King Edward
Ave, Ottawa K1N 6N5, Canada
Microsoft: Where am I allowed to go today?

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Not wanting to turn this list into a "what type of list is this list" list,
I wrote my reply back only to Stephan. Seeing that my opinion was becoming
the minority I now forward it to the list, with additional comments.

-----

Stephan,

I have set up approximately 40 mailing lists using various software. There
are basically two kinds:

One is a broadcast or CC: list whereby someone writes an e-mail to a slew
of people and they write back only to the author (unless they expressly
change the To: address back to the list, as you did). It's a convenient way
to have a large contact list while keeping it under wraps (meaning without
spreading their addresses all over in a giant cc: list... imagine if the
spammer got his/her hands on THAT).

The other type of list is a forum or conversation list. A message written
to the list is broadcast just like the other type, but the Reply-to:
address is set to the listname, so hitting reply will result in the email
going back to the list. If you choose to write the author individually, you
can pick his/her name out of the header and change the To: address to that.

As this type of list generates a lot more e-mail, (everyone is getting all
replies, which in turn generates more mail on top of that), the list
administrator can set up a digest mode where 10-15 messages are stored up
and then sent in a single e-mail as a "digest".

The method you have chosen minimalizes the amount of e-mail everyone gets,
and may be more appropriate for this venue. Even though it may reduce the
long-term usefulness of the list, as helpful solutions to other people's
problems won't be stored with the list, subscribers won't get any extra
mail containing those solutions to other people's problems, which can
become unbearable, and may result in a loss of some subscribers.

If your original intention was to spread the helpdesk responsibilities to
all users while giving them access to this same channel, the default list
type you set up is perfect.

Personally I already get too much e-mail and have put myself on digest to
three lists I run for myself. If you set the list up as a forum list, I
hope you will also set up a digest mode.

Mike



----------------------------------------------------------
Michael Muller Information is not knowledge
mik@treebranch.com Knowledge is not wisdom
http://www.treebranch.com - Frank Zappa
New York City Environmentalism Online.
----------------------------------------------------------
Watch our cable show in Manhattan, Mondays at 830pm, ch 34

Join Cyberpark! Send e-mail to listserv@treebranch.com
with SUBSCRIBE CYBERPARK in the body of the message.


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I disagree with Michaels conclusion that answers should go by default to
the original sender only, but I strongly endorse his suggestion that
there be a Digest available.

Aengus
--
Aengus@Lawlor.org (preferred) | Aengus Lawlor
who used to be alawlor@dit.ie | An bhfuil cead agam dul amok?


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: analog-help: Reply to whom?
Author: Michael Muller <mik@treebranch.com> at Internet
Date: 12/1/98 11:41 AM



Not wanting to turn this list into a "what type of list is this list" list,
I wrote my reply back only to Stephan. Seeing that my opinion was becoming
the minority I now forward it to the list, with additional comments.

-----

Stephan,

I have set up approximately 40 mailing lists using various software. There
are basically two kinds:

One is a broadcast or CC: list whereby someone writes an e-mail to a slew of
people and they write back only to the author (unless they expressly change
the To: address back to the list, as you did). It's a convenient way to have
a large contact list while keeping it under wraps (meaning without spreading
their addresses all over in a giant cc: list... imagine if the spammer got
his/her hands on THAT).

The other type of list is a forum or conversation list. A message written
to the list is broadcast just like the other type, but the Reply-to:
address is set to the listname, so hitting reply will result in the email
going back to the list. If you choose to write the author individually, you
can pick his/her name out of the header and change the To: address to that.

As this type of list generates a lot more e-mail, (everyone is getting all
replies, which in turn generates more mail on top of that), the list
administrator can set up a digest mode where 10-15 messages are stored up
and then sent in a single e-mail as a "digest".

The method you have chosen minimalizes the amount of e-mail everyone gets,
and may be more appropriate for this venue. Even though it may reduce the
long-term usefulness of the list, as helpful solutions to other people's
problems won't be stored with the list, subscribers won't get any extra
mail containing those solutions to other people's problems, which can
become unbearable, and may result in a loss of some subscribers.

If your original intention was to spread the helpdesk responsibilities to
all users while giving them access to this same channel, the default list
type you set up is perfect.

Personally I already get too much e-mail and have put myself on digest to
three lists I run for myself. If you set the list up as a forum list, I
hope you will also set up a digest mode.

Mike



----------------------------------------------------------
Michael Muller Information is not knowledge
mik@treebranch.com Knowledge is not wisdom
http://www.treebranch.com - Frank Zappa
New York City Environmentalism Online.
----------------------------------------------------------
Watch our cable show in Manhattan, Mondays at 830pm, ch 34

Join Cyberpark! Send e-mail to listserv@treebranch.com
with SUBSCRIBE CYBERPARK in the body of the message.


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Likewise, I also support the digest option. I receive a lot of
mailing-lists and it's much easier to manage with digests. Imagine
receiving 200 little messages each day or 10 big ones...

Cheers,

Anne-Claire

Aengus Lawlor wrote:
>
> I disagree with Michaels conclusion that answers should go by default to
> the original sender only, but I strongly endorse his suggestion that
> there be a Digest available.
>
> Aengus
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