[Fwd: Re: [plug] Reply-to headers]

[Matt Kemner]

On Wed, 9 Aug 2000, Bret Busby wrote:

> Now, this is where I think it starts to get confusing.

Only for those that allow themselves to get confused.
 
> The header of the message below, as shown in Netscape 4.7, with
> View->Headers->Normal, is
> "Subject:                 Re: [plug] Reply-to headers
>  Resent-Date:             Wed, 9 Aug 2000 16:32:04 +0800 (WST)
>  Resent-From:             plug at plug.linux.org.au
>        Date:             Wed, 9 Aug 2000 16:34:02 +0800
>        From:             "Brian Tombleson" <Brian at ParadigmIT.com.au>
>          To:             <plug at plug.linux.org.au>
>   References:            1 , 2
> "
> which gives no indication of to where a reply will go, but, as the

Probably because the Reply-to: matched the From: so Netscape decided there
was no need to show it.

> I assume that we who wanted the Reply To to overrride, lost, and, the
> people who wanted the Reply To deleted altogether, won, Matt?

You assume wrong.
I have not made a change yet, but you have pointed out exactly why a
change needs to be made - the current situation is too confusing for some
people.

Because some people don't exactly understand the question, I'll explain it
again.

The current situation, is that if there is NO reply-to specified by the
original author, the list server will add one pointing back to the list.

If the original author has specified one, the list server will respect
their wishes, and not touch it.

This causes confusion for those that expect reply to always go back to the
list.

The other two options are:

* Also replace existing Reply-to: addresses.
  This will avoid confusion for those people, but will make it impossible
  for someone to force replies to go back to them if they choose to.

* Change the list server to not touch Reply-to at all
  This is the safest option, but requires that people specify "reply to
  all" when they want to send to the list and "reply to sender" if they
  want to send to the original author.

 - Matt