> I disagree.   If I set up a robot reply tool I would never want this tool,
> as my agent, posting to mailing lists
 
> and I cannot think of a single mailing list that would want me to inform all
> the members of my absence for every message someone posts to the list.
 
Be that as it may, I belong to some lists where some subscribers
faithfully warn the list in advance that they are about to go out of
town.  I have yet to find any value in that information, though.
 
On this subject, let me make one further remark: a vacation program
should not reply more than once to any single correspondent.  I know
there are programs around that are careful in that regard, so don't
tell it's hard to keep track.
                                     John