[ADMIN] Plea for sanity (was:Re: [Zope] Re: full-text retrieval app)

[Anthony Baxter]

>>> Ed Leafe wrote
> 	OK, if it's that easy, why did you "choose" to send two copies of your 
> message to me? Please explain why that makes sense.

Learn to use procmail:
  FORMAIL=/usr/bin/formail
  #       Weed out duplicates (with dup-ed msgid's)
  #
  :0 Wh : msgid.lock
  | $FORMAIL -D 32768 msgid.cache

Stuff gets posted between lists all the time - is there some bad
magic that should be done to save you getting dupes?

As for sending stuff to the author, and to the list - some lists are
slooooow to process email (lots of users, &c). A courtesy cc to the
user is polite. 



> 	I also think that "mangle headers" is an interesting choice of words. 
> Every server that processes mail alters the headers for different 
> reasons. Adding a "Reply-To" header is no more "mangling" than adding 
> an "Errors-To" header. Why are you not objecting to that sort of 
> "header mangling" by this list? Probably because "Errors-To" supplies 
> additional information that helps the list function better. "Reply-To" 
> is no different.

Because it's not just "adding a Reply-To". It's replacing one that's
already there, and removing the previous one. If that was the only
way to communicate your real email address (for whatever reason), then
you're hosed.

This subject comes up about once every 12 months on this list, that's
all. It's never needed changing so far - and the arguments given are
not in the slightest bit compelling. And no, that the topic comes up
occasionally is not an argument for it changing. There's what, a couple
of thousand people on the list? How many are posting that they'd like
it changed? 3 or 4? 

> 	Also, what percentage of the time is replying off-list appropriate? 
> IMO, lists serve to support others by sharing knowledge. Replying 
> off-list (the default) shares knowledge with one person; replying to 
> the list shares it with all list members, and could also save someone 
> the time of replying to a question that had already been answered.

Again, that's you trying to dictate, through software, how people use
the list. If you'd prefer the list to run as a "please send all replies
to the list", or "if you get off-list replies that solve your problem,
please post a summary to the list" (the latter would be my preferred 
method of "solving" this non-problem), write up a small list FAQ, and
ask for it to be sent out to new subscribers, and maybe re-post it
every 6 weeks or so.

Anthony.

-- 
Anthony Baxter     <anthony@interlink.com.au>   
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.