RE: Message Replies

Here's my take on REPLY-TO behavior.

If a reply to a question is pertinent to the question asked, may be helpful, etc, then it should go to the list.

If a reply to a question contains information that for some reason you don't think should be broadcast to the list, then by all means send it just to the individual.

Most importantly, solutions to problems posed should be sent to the list for all to see. This will also ensure that the answer will be in the list archives.

A great deal of confusion surrounds REPLY-TO, and I believe that most of it revolves around the fact that no two MUA's ( that's Mail User Agent - your mail reading software ) seem to handle REPLY-TO the same way.

I use Pine, and when there is a REPL-TO header, Pine will act differently than if there is no REPLY-TO header.

Pine is very versatile, and will still let me choose whether I reply to the sender, the list, or both.

When replying to a question with a possible solution, or other information that may help to solve a problem, I always send the information to the list and to the person that posted the question.

This ensures that the person asking for help gets my response.

HTH Jared

On Mon, 1 May 2000, Maheshwara Rao, L., Teki wrote:

> Jared,
>
> I completely agree with David. I learnt a lot just by reading the messages
> floating around in the list. It actually built up my confidence that if I a
> face a problem, there is somebody who can really be relied for getting
> answeres.
>
> Please keep it at least for the likes of me who are new.
>
> Maheshwara Rao, L., Teki
> E Mail : teki01_at_mediaone.net
>

Jared Still
Certified Oracle DBA and Part Time Perl Evangelist ;-) Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
jkstill_at_bcbso.com - Work - preferred address Received on Tue May 02 2000 - 10:03:11 CDT