> -----Original Message-----
> From: Testbed Support for GridPP member institutes [mailto:TB-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jeremy Coles
>
> Glad that you spotted the change. I'm guilty and changed the behaviour
> during the HEPSYSMAN meeting when it was pointed out to me that the
> default behaviour ought to be that a 'reply' goes to the individual and
> 'reply all' includes the whole list - several replies intended for
> individuals have gone to the whole list. I was going to leave it unless
> someone asked. Now that you have asked I need to check what the majority
> want. So, if you are on this list and have a preference please reply (just
> to me ;) indicating your preference unless you want to make a wider point
> for everyone to consider.
>
I guess it's clear what I think, but it might be worth explaining why.
There are two classic essays on this, one on each side, both with
good arguments:
http://www.unicom.com/pw/reply-to-harmful.html
http://www.metasystema.net/essays/reply-to.html
I think this really turns on the nature of the list, partly technically,
and partly 'culturally'. If a list is an open one, which anyone can
post to, and which accepts postings with CC lists (especially ones
including other mailing lists) then forcing replies to default to the
list breaks that completely. If you consider a list like linux-kernel,
for example, a lot of people CC the list as a matter of record and aren't
subscribers - you really do want 'Reply All' to go to those people, and
also to the list subscribers because they're different people.
For a closed list, it's less clear-cut; you can't have cross-posted
discussions or non-subscribers taking part anyway because the list
would reject submissions from anyone not subscribed, so forcing the
replies isn't going to break that. However, if the list carries mostly
announcement type mails, in the way that, for example, the hepsysman
list does, then it may be most common to want to direct replies
exclusively to the person that posted them, not to everyone that
received them. But on a closed list that is a more 'chat room' like
space in which discussions take place, and in which discussions
/should/ take place, defaulting the behavior to keep discussion, which
is necessarily among list subscribers anyway, going via the list
encourages that to happen and makes it easier. It also avoids the
incorrect behaviour you get with 'Reply All' - that sends a copy of each
mail to everyone involved individually, AND to the list, which is silly
when they're all on the list anyway.
It does make it harder to reply to an individual and take something
off list, but I think that's OK - that should be the unusual case,
and it requires a conscious effort to cut the rest of the list out of
the discussion. Sometimes it's necessary, but I don't think it hurts to
make it something that you have to very deliberately choose to take the
trouble to do on those rare occasions.
Ewan
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