List replies (was Re: cacha?a and OFF TOPIC)

[Victoria Neufeldt]

The ADS-L default setting doesn't work from my computer (or the
Merriam-Webster server?)  I just discovered that my own name was in that
line, instead of ADS-L.  The problem for the sender is that there is no way
of knowing when you're typing up a reply to a posted message; there's no
indication on the screen.  However, I discovered that I can specify a
different "reply to" (it's in "Options" under the "View" menu in Microsoft
Outlook 98) and it actually seems to work.  But I'm not sure if it's only a
one-time thing or if I'm actually changing the default "reply to".  I'm
trying it again with this posting.  We'll see.  (Sigh.  It's all so
complicated for a semi-literate user like me.)

Victoria

Merriam-Webster, Inc. P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102
Tel: 413-734-3134  ext 124
Fax: 413-827-7262

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
> Of Bookrat
> Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 2:34 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: List replies (was Re: cacha?a and OFF TOPIC)
>
>
> >Same think happened to me when I tried to respond to Mike Salovesh a few
> >minutes ago.  When my reply didn't appear on this list, I checked and saw
> >that it had gone only to Mike.  (I put the ADS address on it by hand and
> >resent it.)  Explanation, anyone?
> >
> >James E. Clapp
>
> Short answer:
>
> Replies always go to the address specified in the "Reply-To:" header.  In
> general, that address is this list itself, but sometimes it's the address
> of the sender.  Check before you send.  (Everyone does this anyway, right?
> :) )
>
> Long-winded answer:
>
> The broader philosophical question is this: when one hits the "Reply" key
> in answer to a list posting, where *should* the reply go?  There are two
> intuitive answers: to the list itself, or to the original sender.  There's
> no one right answer to the question.  Some people like to have replies go
> to the list, which encourages keeping discussions on-list at the
> expense of
> increasing list traffic; some like to have replies go to the sender, which
> tends to cut down on list traffic at the expense of taking some
> interesting
> discussions off-list.
>
> Default "Reply" behavior is in the control of the listowner.  ADS-L has a
> very common setting: by default, the "Reply-To:" address is the list
> itself, *unless* the original sender has specified a "Reply-To:" header of
> his or her own, in which case that address is used.
>
> The sender's "Reply-To:" header is commonly but not always within the
> control of the sender; sometimes it is set by the sender's system
> administrator, and there's not much the sender can do about it.  Sometimes
> it is set by the sender's system administrator, but the sender
> can override
> it.
>
> The bottom line is that, while there are many opinions regarding what
> should be the default "Reply" behavior, you can't take anything for
> granted.  Check before you send.
>
> Ken Miller
> Systems Annalist
> Babbage Engine Works
>