[erlang-questions] 'reply-to' header in this mailing list

[Raimo Niskanen]

On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 01:04:58PM +0200, Alexander Krasnukhin wrote:
> Hej,
> 
> Why this mailing list doesn't add itself to the 'reply-to' header? I see it
> isn't uncommon for subscribers to send message to the author directly
> instead of the list.
> 
> I wonder why?

1) This is an old mailing list. It has been around since 1997,
   which is long before Google et.al started to violate then
   already accepted mailing list behaviours probably with the
   intention to unify forum like behaviour with mailing lists.
   It has always been like this, expect for a short while when
   I changed mailing list software and accidentally configured
   the behaviour you ask and the list exploded with dislike.
   The existing subscribers expect this behaviour.

2) It is according to Internet standards.

3) It lowers the probability of sending privately intended mails
   to the list.

One might argue that it is not proven that the majority of
the currently existing subscribers actually want it this way.
That is correct, but it is just a few new subscribers asking
this question getting little positive response from the
existing subscribers. And we all have other things to do than
to dig up already worn out arguments in this futile debate.

If a large number of old reliable subscribers start voicing
the opinion that this Reply-To setting is now a bad idea
we might change the setting. Such a controversial change
would require a _large_ majority.

I anyone tries to start a flamewar about changing the Reply-To
setting it will be regarded as off-topic and nonproductive
and they will end up ignored or banned.

> 
> -- 
> Regards,
> Alexander

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-- 

/ Raimo Niskanen, Erlang/OTP, Ericsson AB