Charles Lindsey writes:
The user just hits the one and only reply button,
...
Now the Compose window says:
"would you like to reply just to the original author,
or to the list,
or to what the original author/list-maintainer suggested,
or to everybodt mentioned,
or fill it all in by hand".
Well that looks like 5 buttons, but we can probably manage with less
(or you can configure it with extra buttons to your choice).
That's not dissimilar to what pine does (if you use the reply command,
it asks you a question), and what a lot of non-mail programs do. For
example, if you invoke the quit command of some stupid programs, they
ask "are you sure? y/n".
It doesn't work.
Users of these programs are adept at hitting the right follow-up key.
They learn to do unconsciously, as a single multi-key or multi-click
command. The command to reply becomes "r y", the command to quit
becomes "control-q enter", etc.
There are ways around this. For example, the five buttons suggested by
Charles can be located at random, such that the window looks different
every time and no user can learn what the program will do. A bullet in
the head is a sure cure for a headache, too.
Those of you who want to make good suggestions that involve user
behaviour might do well to read a little first. One short and good book
that's relevant to this thread is Jef Raskin's "The Humane Interface".
http://humane.sourceforge.net/humane_interface/summary_of_thi.html is a
rather short summary.
Arnt