[plug] [OT] List Posting/Replying

[Martin]

$quoted_author = "Tim White" ;
> 
> I'm not sure how Thunderbird threads topics but it seems to follow it 
> even with subject changes. It makes me wonder sometimes when I see a 
> message under a thread totally unrelated. 

it's threading them based on In-Reply-To and References headers.
In-Reply-To holds the Message-ID of the email you are directly replying
to and References has the Message-ID's of any upthread emails.

i.e. from the headers of the last email in a conversation with a friend:

Message-ID: <2686.203.221.220.162.1096609813.squirrel at 203.221.220.162>
In-Reply-To: <20041001054512.GB12042 at kevin.supine.com>
References: <1635.203.221.220.162.1096504117.squirrel at 203.221.220.162>
  <20040930011134.GB9968 at kevin.supine.com>
  <1792.203.221.220.162.1096507261.squirrel at 203.221.220.162>
  <20040930014729.GE9968 at kevin.supine.com>
  <2137.203.221.220.162.1096523476.squirrel at 203.221.220.162>
  <20040930080158.GA10938 at kevin.supine.com>
  <1071.203.221.220.162.1096582328.squirrel at 203.221.220.162>
  <20041001040518.GA12042 at kevin.supine.com>
  <2634.203.221.220.162.1096609138.squirrel at 203.221.220.162>
  <20041001054512.GB12042 at kevin.supine.com>

Message-ID of her email, In-Reply-To has the Message-ID of my email she
is replying to, References has the Message-ID's of all messages upstream
in the thread (notice the ID's alternating between her webmail
[squirrel at 203.221.220.162] and my workstation [kevin.supine.com]).


> Maybe people are replying to a message and changing the subject rather
> than starting a new message when posting a message to the list.

that's exactly what they are doing.

cheers
marty

-- 
Close your brown eyes,
And lay down next to me.
Close your eyes, lay down.
'Cos there goes the fear,
Let it go.

"There Goes the Fear" - Doves