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Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Yahoo question

From: Don Tillman <don@...>
Date: 2006-03-21

> From: pete <marabus@...>
> Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:55:23 -0500
>
> Does anyone know why this is the only yahoo group that I belong
> to that when replying it defaults to the originator's e-mail and
> not the group?

Because the list admin set this list up to follow email standards.

You should have two commands on your email program; one for replying
to the sender of a message, and one for replying to everyone included
in the message.

There is an email header called "Reply-to:", and it redirects replies,
usurping the regular operation of your email program. The intended
use of the Reply-to: header is for the cases where the original poster
really wants to redirect replies, say, if you're sending out an
invitiation to a whole bunch of folks but you don't want any responses
blasting back to everybody.

Lots of email lists use the Reply-to: field to redirect all replies
back to the entire list, but in doing so they violate the purpose of
the Reply-to: header, they remove any original Reply-to: header, and
they change the function of the email program's reply button behind
the user's back. So that's not good at all.

Some details can be found here:
http://www.unicom.com/pw/reply-to-harmful.html

And in the official email spec, RFC-822:
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc822.txt

-- Don

--
Don Tillman
Palo Alto, California
don@...
http://www.till.com