This is an editted version of something we sent our
list subscribers in response to a review of why
we changed our list definition from
* REPLY-TO= LIST,RESPECT
to
* REPLY-TO= SENDER,RESPECT
This response was written by Bob Quinn of Penn State
From: "QUINN.ROBERT" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Responses to the list
To: Multiple recipients of list xxxxxx-L <[log in to unmask]>
In-Reply-To: The letter of Thu, 22 Feb 1996 22:16 EST
A couple of thoughts on the "reply issue" since it has been coming up again
lately:
One subscriber wrote, in part:
>I am a newcomer to the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - less than 6 months. I started
>several months before the change to stop replies to the entire list.
I hope this thought is perhaps misstated. Replies to messages posted via
xxxxxx-L are not prohibited. We've simply altered the default reply
address. That means, in most cases, that your email system will direct your
replies (by default) back to the original sender of the message rather than
the entire xxxxxx-L list. We did this in order to reduce the number of
non-relevant postings made list-wide by individuals who chose their reply
function without really thinking about where that reply was going.
Under the "old way", nobody knew for sure whether or not a given reply was
actually intended to be list-wide. Under the "new way", you can feel
reasonably sure that the sender intended the message to be sent to 2800
subscribers (there are a few exceptions; ie. some mail systems will still
reply to xxxxxx-L by default because of the Sender: label).
In general, my observations of this change are positive. We don't appear
to have the volume of off-topic posts to xxxxxx-L these days, so I would
judge that our objective has been met. Unfortunately, the price we pay is
(1) missing some postings that ideally should have been posted list-wide
and (2) some of us being unable to differentiate xxxxxx-L and other mail
in our inbaskets. And, of course, it can't be both ways.
I want to emphasize the concept of this being a reply DEFAULT. You retain
the ultimate reponsibility as to your reply destination. It's only in the
absence of you upholding that responsibility that your reply potentially
goes to an inappropriate destination.
As a LISTSERV list subscriber, you must exercise these responsibilities
each time you send or reply to the list. As with any other responsibilities
you shoulder, you also have to use good judgement in doing so.
As a SENDER to a list, you should try to anticipate how other subscribers
might reply. If you are conducting a survey, you should certainly INSTRUCT
other subscribers to reply only to you and you should commit to providing
summary results list-wide. The rest of us don't want to see 85 postings
that read:
1. yes
2. no
3. Twice
If you aren't doing a survey, but anticipate you might get a number of
replies, you may want to follow the "reply to me" strategy. If you are
posting a "what do you think about this?" type of message, then the burden
of how to reply rests with the replier.
If you are a replier, you should be considering your intended audience. Has
the original poster asked that you reply directly to him/her, and have they
offered to summarize the results? Does the nature of your reply suggest that
a large portion of the xxxxxx-L membership would benefit, or should it really
be directed to just the original poster? Again, there's judgement associated
with these decisions. All I would ask is that you think about it.
One final note: Some of you have indicated that your mail system doesn't
tell you who the original sender is, and therefore you are forced to reply
list-wide. If that applies to you, you can send the following command
to [log in to unmask]:
Set xxxxxx-L Dualhdr
Please note the LISTSERV address and not xxxxxx-L. Dualhdr will place
header information (Sender:, Reply-To:, etc) in the first few lines of
the body of your mail message. You'll always know the origination of the
message.
Thank you for your cooperation and support! Have a great weekend.
Bob Quinn
xxxxxx-L Owner
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