[FFML] Just a note on configuration

[The Wanderer]

Dennis Carr wrote:

> The Wanderer has pointed out to me (thanks!) that the old FFML was
> configured to force replies to the poster, rather than to the list.

No, that's not quite correct.

The old FFML did not set the Reply-To header at all, but did keep the
 From header unchanged; as a result, replies would by default go to the
person who originally sent the message, though this could be changed by
hand. Nothing was "forced" in any sense of the word (except for
additional work on the part of those who wanted to send public replies
and/or avoid receiving private ones).

The current mailing list sets the Reply-To header to the address of the
mailing list; as a result, replies will by default go to the mailing
list rather than to the person who sent the message, though this can be
changed by hand. Whether or not the original value will be simply
overridden by this configuration, if the Reply-To header had already
been set to some value by the original sender, is unknown.

There is a longstanding argument in the more technical parts of the 'Net
against setting the Reply-To header on mailing lists. I disagree with
this argument rather sharply, primarily on the grounds that replies to
messages posted to *any* discussion forum of any type should go by
default back to that same discussion forum.

I will not raise too hugely much of a fuss if the decision is made to go
back to the old FFML's configuration. As the above should indicate, I
would not be pleased by such a decision, but I post rarely enough that
my view should not be particularly overriding in this instance.


I apologize for the offtopic post. I do not intend to continue the
thread further publicly without sanction. (I did remove the [ADMIN] tag,
on the grounds that it is supposed to appear only in the Subject lines
of posts made by list admins and I am not one. I seem to recall that
this was described as good practice once in the past.)

-- 
       The Wanderer

Warning: Simply because I argue an issue does not mean I agree with any
side of it.

Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny.