In <20050609202523(_dot_)GN15485(_at_)apb-laptoy(_dot_)apb(_dot_)alt(_dot_)za>
Alan Barrett <apb(_at_)cequrux(_dot_)com> writes:
On Thu, 09 Jun 2005, Charles Lindsey wrote:
We need:
1. A header to be set by the list maintainer.
2. A header to be set by the user, to control where replies to list go
(and in particular whether he gets a private copy or not).
3. A header to be set by the user to control where personal (non-list)
replies go.
And rules to determins which takes priority if they conflict.
I think it is clear that Reply-To is the proper header for #3.
No, it's not at all clear that "Reply-To:" is the proper header for #3.
#3 should be separated into cases where "From:" is the proper header,
and cases where it is not. "Reply-To:" is currently used for both #2
and #3 (and is sometimes even used for the subset of case #3 where
"From:" would have been more appropriate).
Reply-To does not provide the needed flexibility.
You want to say
"Please reply to the list, and I don't want a personal copy in that
case. OTOH, if you want to discuss this with me privately off-list,
then please reply to XXXXXX. Whatever you do, I don't want replies
sent to the From address, because that is a role account read by
several people, but this brain-dead Gatesware won't let me change it."
You can't specify all that in Reply-To. Ergo you need (at least) one more
header.
And yes, Gatesware is indeed brain-dead, but notoriously resistant to
being fixed :-( .
--
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
Email: chl(_at_)clerew(_dot_)man(_dot_)ac(_dot_)uk Snail: 5 Clerewood Ave,
CHEADLE, SK8 3JU, U.K.
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