The [log in to unmask] list has been having a discussion on the propriety/value, etc. of having automatic acknowledgements (also called Receipts) in mail messages. I gather that it is particularly prevalent in a mailer called CC:MAIL. Anyway, this is the most recent posting on the topic. Note the suggestions for ListServ, ListProc, et al, near the end. Judith Hopkins, Listowner of [log in to unmask] ULCJH@UBVM (BITNET address) [log in to unmask] (Internet address) **************************************************************** Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 14:28:29 -0600 (CST) From: GERRY NEUFELD <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Fri, 16 Sep 1994 12:49:11 -0400 (EDT) >From: Arlene Rinaldi <[log in to unmask]> >Fellow nettrainers, below is a question that I was unable to answer. >Maybe this is mainstream, but I have honestly not heard of "receipts" >in mailers since we don't have them at my institution. Here is the >message that I had responded to regarding whether "receipts" were >considered poor netiquette. Let me know what you think. > [forwarded message deleted] Our institution does not have this "receipt" function either. However, I think that this is how it works: The sender, using cc:mail, sends a message requesting a receipt. This request for a receipt is embedded somewhere in the header. If the message is received by a compatible mailer, the receiver's mailer automatically sends a message back to the originator of the message when the recipient reads that piece of mail. However, if the recipient's mailer is not compatible, no acknowledgement is sent back to the sender. In my opinion this seems like a useful function for ordinary email correspondence. However, ------------------------------------------------------------------- IT SHOULD **NEVER** BE USED WHEN SENDING MAIL TO A MAILING LIST!! ------------------------------------------------------------------- The message would be forwarded (together with the request for acknowledgement) by the LISTSERV software to all subscribers to the list. When the subscribers read the message, their mailers would automatically generate a receipt that would be sent back to the list and forwarded to all subscribers. If 100 members on the list had compatible mailers, each legitimate message to the list would generate 100 unwanted acknowledgements in each subscribers mail box. This has just started to happen on one of the lists to which I subscribe and it is very annoying. ------------------------------------------------------------------- I would suggest that all programmers who support mail serv packages such as LISTSERV, ListProcessor, Majordomo, etc. take immediate action to eliminate this potential problem by modifying the mail serv programs so that acknowledgement requests are automatically stripped from messages before they are sent to the list members. This must be done immediately before this problem gets out of hand! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Gerry Neufeld [log in to unmask] _______________________________________________________________________ Gerald Neufeld, [log in to unmask] Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada R7A 6A9 Office (204) 727-7321, Home 727-7375, FAX 728-3326 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ask about: Driving the Infohighway: A Guide for VAX/VMS Users -----------------------------------------------------------------------