>  My guess is that the users is on a system that gateways mail into
>  a PC/LAN based mail system, and that the gateway is constructing the
>  headers incorrectly.  So you were absolutely right in directing the
>  user towards his/her local postmaster.  If/When the PC mail user sees
>  "owner-listname@..." in his/her mail messages, it's likely that the
>  gateway is using the SMTP headers to create the PC mail headers.  It
>  should be using the RFC822 mail headers instead.  I've seen that exact
>  same problem before by the way.  In my case is was a badly configured
>  SMTP to Lotus/Notes gateway.  Such gateways *can* work just fine, but
>  if they are misconfigured the user will wind up with unrepliable mail.
 
It isn't that simple, unfortunately.  Systems such as Microsoft Mail
and cc:Mail don't have the concept of an envelope From address to which
bounce messages are to be sent.  They just have one From address for
replies and for bounces.  They also don't have the concept of a
separate Reply-to address.  So compromises are inevitable.  If you
don't put the SMTP MAIL FROM address into the LAN mail system's From
header, then bounces from the LAN mail system will go to the wrong
address, violating Internet standards, annoying/confusing list posters,
and not getting important information to list owners.  It does mean
that the LAN mail system's reply function will not work properly.
However, it seems like the users of the mail system that is deficient
in functionality should pay the price, rather than others out there on
the Internet.
 
Roger Fajman                                   Telephone:  +1 301 402 4265
National Institutes of Health                  BITNET:     RAF@NIHCU
Bethesda, Maryland, USA                        Internet:   [log in to unmask]
Postmaster for CU.NIH.GOV/NIHCU, LIST.NIH.GOV/NIHLIST, NIH3PLUS
List owner for PCIP, SNSTCP-L, and TN3270E, all @LIST.NIH.GOV