[TOS] Fwd: teachingopensource.org mailing list memberships reminder

[MJ Ray]

tosmaillist.neophyte_rep at ordinaryamerican.net
> 2) What is the policy about replies?
> 
> Sorry, but I don't like having to remember to change every address in
> every reply I make.  [...]

In my opinion, Reply-To should not be set. There is a perfectly good
"List-Post" header telling mail clients where to send list-replies.
(IETF RFC-2369 I think.)

Consider the potential damage:

With Reply-To:

A1. Reply-To set, mail client supports List-Post => list-reply command
works but reply command is broken and does the same as list-reply, no
way to recover off-list reply command except manual editing, risks
private messages going to list.

A2. Reply-To set, mail client ignores List-Post => reply goes to list,
no way to recover off-list reply command except manual editing.

Without:

B1. No Reply-To, mail client supports List-Post => list-reply command
works, reply command works.

B2. No Reply-To, mail client ignores List-Post => reply goes direct,
user of incomplete client has to use Reply-All or edit the recipients,
risks list messages going privately.

Why should users be punished for having List-Post-supporting clients
by risking private messages going public if they overlook the break,
just so users of worse clients don't risk public messages going private?

If a mail client doesn't support List-Post properly, report the bug -
and fix it if you can (it's free and open source software, right?)

Hope that informs,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef), member of www.software.coop, a for-more-than-profit co-op.
Webmaster, Debian Developer, Past Koha RM, statistician, former lecturer.
In My Opinion Only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Available for hire for various work through http://www.software.coop/