[Ffmpeg-devel] reply-to headers and the mailinglist

[Rich Felker]

On Thu, May 05, 2005 at 09:36:22PM +0200, M?ns Rullg?rd wrote:
> Rich Felker <dalias at aerifal.cx> writes:
> 
> >> >> IMHO, the best is not to do any reply-to processing.  See
> >> >> http://www.unicom.com/pw/reply-to-harmful.html for a discussion on the
> >> >> topic.
> >> >
> >> > This is nonsense...without it everyone would reply off-list and spam
> >> > us all.
> >> 
> >> It seems to work well on all the lists I subscribe to that don't mess
> >> with reply-to.  Any sane mailer has a command that replies in the
> >> proper way.
> >
> > The point is that people won't use it. I (and apparently 99% of the
> > developers) do NOT want to get personally-addressed, off-list mail.
> 
> After a learning period of about half a day, everybody seems to get it
> right.

Right. So every time a new newbie joins the list I get several
off-list emails? No thanks...

> >> > I vote for stripping all reply-to headers and then adding the list
> >> > as the only reply-to.
> >> 
> >> Setting relpy-to to the list addrss only makes it difficult to reply
> >> off-list, if that's what you actually want to do.
> >
> > Exactly. It's difficult on purpose. So people won't do it.
> 
> Sometimes an off-list reply is more appropriate.  If it were a little
> easier to do it properly, the list would receive less such noise.

IMO it's almost never appropriate. If you're helping someone, the
solution to the problem is potentially useful for all list members to
see. And if you're requesting help, you'd sure as hell better mail the
whole list, because chances are that if you just mail one person
off-list, they'll either have no idea, or they'll be too pissed about
getting off-list mail to want to help.

Rich