[plug] Return Receipt on List (was M$ wants you to pay & Mac to go OSS)

[Bill Cullen]

Christian wrote:
> Bret Busby wrote:
> <bret>
> > The only possible explanation is that some people are using some defective
> > email application that runs on Linux, from what you have said in this
> > particular email. In the previous email, you gave no explanation, so I had
> > assumed that the receipting had caused the mailing list server to crash, or,
> > do a Windows thing and kill itself, or something equally drastic.
> </bret>

Is there an RFC that requires that mail programs have to support
receipts?

> 
> Of course.  Everyone else's email programs are defective.  Yours,
> however, is just fine.  Let's all go out and get Microsoft Outlook.

Please, don't even joke about it.

> > And, you insist that I change my procedure to suit only less than 35 of one
> > of my email destinations?

Bret, the whole point of email is too communicate. If you then do
something which then makes the communication harder (ie. use html or,
in this case, piss some people off with receipt requests) then it
sort of defeats the purpose. The best rule when dealing with mailing
lists and usenet is too just take the lowest denominator (I assume
that the reading is just running mail on a command prompt somewhere,
or even vi-ing their mail file - which I do occasionally from work).
That way you know that everyone will be able to read your messages.

> > Once again, for those poor unfortunates, the receipting is turned off for
> > their benefit.
> > Hopefully, sometime, they will get real email applications, or, in the true
> > spirit of Linux, reprogram their email applications, to overcome this bug.

I think you missed the point. The masses shouldn't have to change
what they do to make it more convenient for you.

> Here's a simplified recap of the possibilities here:
> a)  Everyone has their clients set to automatically return the receipt
> which means an email in your inbox for every post you make multiplied by
> the number of people on the list. (probably about pointless 500 emails
> in your box for today's effort - are you honestly telling me you are
> interested in the receipts you receive from mailing list postings?)
> OR
> b)  Everyone has their clients set to prompt when returning a receipt -
> so 100+ people have to type/click "No" which renders your receipt
> requests pointless since you don't get your receipts)
> OR
> c)  Everyone has their clients set to not send a receipt - so you don't
> get your receipts anyway which once again renders your receipt request
> pointless.

You missed the other alternative. 100+ people could be just deleting
the message without reading it. :-) I'd turn the receipting off, my
ego might not be able to handle that level of rejection.

Bill.
-- 
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  Bill Cullen, ENFP, billc at wantree.com.au, Perth, Western Australia
               Life's too important to take seriously.
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