In article <[log in to unmask]>, dated Sat, 17
Oct 1998 at 12:05:25, David Evans <[log in to unmask]> writes
>On Sat, 17 Oct 1998 07:54:51 +0100, "Andrew Herd" <[log in to unmask]>
>wrote:
>
>>> Has anyone else noticed (Using Outlook Express anyway!) how clicking reply
>>> to sender sometimes generates a reply addressed to literally the "sender"
>>> and at other times to "gp-uk"
>>>
>>> Any explanations?
>>>
>>Microsnot wrote it?
>>
>
>No, seriously! I get the same thing with Agent. It looks to be the
>"Reply to" field in the header. If you look at the headers of Andrew
>and Peter's posts they say ReplyTo "gp-uk@..", but Ahmad's post says
>ReplyTo "risk@..". Is this a setting he has made on his email
>software?
>
Reply-to headers are optional and are initially set by the sender and
their email application. The purpose of the reply-to header is to allow
the sender to specify a different reply address to that in the from
header.
What happens to that reply-to header when mail is distributed via a
mailing list server is dependent on several variables. In the first
instance it will depend on the configuration options offered by the
mailing list server software. A mailing list administrator having full
configuration access to listserv (branded) software may have more
options available than if the list were one of the free mailing lists.
A listserv mailing list administrator can choose to honour any sender
supplied reply-to's, supplement them with reply-to's directed to the
mailing list or strip i.e. delete the sender supplied reply-to. This
variability across the hundreds of thousands of mailing lists often
leads to confusion amongst subscribers. It is further complicated by the
lack of standardisation in the usage of other email headers by mailing
list server software plus the levels of 'intelligence' of email
applications in interpreting those headers. As a consequence replies
intended for distribution to a list get sent privately and vica versa.
Replies get sent both to a list and privately so the author of the
original item receives duplicate mail.
The bottom line is you should always check the addressee headers of
email replies you write. A good email application will assist you in
that task with various informative prompts and also prevent you posting
duplicates. Even then you can press the wrong button if you are not
concentrating and perhaps post a public response that you intended to be
private.
Chris
--
Chris Salter (Vice Chairman) Lincolnshire Post-Polio Network
Registered Charity No. 1064177
<URL:http://www.zynet.co.uk/ott/polio/lincolnshire/>
Web Site & Vice Chairman Email: [log in to unmask]
Honorary Secretary Email: [log in to unmask]
Member of the British Healthcare Internet Association
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