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reply to explantations



Hi:

I'm going to summarize how the reply-to feature works and some of the
quirks it introduces.

The mailserv program that runs the alt-photo list adds a header line:

	reply-to: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca

to every email message sent to the list.

The purpose of this is so that people can send a message back to the list
by simply replying to a message (there are quirks to this discussed
below).

Prior to adding this feature, a reply to a list message would go back to
the original sending rather than going to the list.  People would usually
add the list address to the reply so it would go to the list.  There
would be two addresses on this message, the list address and the original
senders address.  The responsible thing was to remove the original senders
address and just send it to the list - but lots of people didn't bother
with this. 

The original sending would then get two copies of the message, one sent to
their address directly, and one sent to them through the list.

If other people replied to this message the original senders email address
would remain attached to the message, and they would continue to get
duplicate messages of everything on that topic.  

Very popular messages had numerous private addresses and the list address
added to them creating a lot of redundant messages filling up lots of
peoples mailboxes.

It was not possible for the original sending to get their address removed
from one these messages.  If it was a popular topic they would receive
duplicate messages for every message on the topic they participated in,
and there was nothing they could do to stop this.

This was very frustrating.

The reply-to feature gets around this problem, but it does make it more
difficult to send a private message in response to a message sent from the
list.  I favour using the reply-to feature since it makes it easier to
send message to the list, rather than easier to send private messages.

Unfortunately email programs handle the reply-to feature differently.  
Some offer a lot of options for controlling who gets the reply, others
don't.  The behaviour and options for this are completely dependent upon
each persons email program.  I can't do anything to make them work
consistently (except urge everyone to use Pine ;)  ).

If you wish to send a private message in response to a list message and
your email program does not offer you the senders email address I suggest
the following:

Use the address manager of your email program to add the senders address
to your email program's address manager.  Rather than trying to reply to
a list message use your email programs forward option.  This allows you
to forward an email message to a new address.  Use your email programs
address manager to send it to the address you wish.

This situation is complicated even further when an individuals email
program inserts its own reply-to header line.  An email message can only
have one reply-to address assigned to it.  It looks like the mailserv
program will not add the reply-to: alt-photo-process-l... to messages that
already have one.  In this case replies will go back to the sender rather
than the list, unless you change the address.  

I hope this clarifies things.

Gord 

---------------------------------------------------------
Gordon J. Holtslander		Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca		112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg	University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433		Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461		Canada  S7N 5E2
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