Inappropriate use of private meetings & lists. (reply to).

[Mikus Grinbergs]

> I would like just remind you that the real
> question is that if this "right" reply to setting is more or less
> important than keeping discussions on the devel list or not. I
> personally think that the latter is more important IMHO.

This can often be controlled by using 'mail-reader' facilities.

For instance, for messages that came from a list, my 'mail-reader' 
is set up to automatically provide "reply to the list", but also 
supports an explicit "reply to 'Reply-to:".

On general-distribution lists, the intent often is:
[1] to discourage off-list conversations - let everybody see 
everything (even though it may not be of interest to everybody),
and [2] to "automate" participation by those whose 'mail-reader' 
only provides a "reply to 'Reply-to:" action.   It is my hope that 
on a __developer's__ list, "hand-holding" would not be needed.

[Please note that when one writes an original message (not a reply) 
to a list, then normally a 'Reply_to' action isn't available.]


> its a very standard convention to keep list mail on lists.

Again, it's a function of the 'mail-reader' being used.  I have set 
mine up to filter mail that appears on a list to the folder in which 
I keep mail from that list.  [And to show it to me only once, even 
if it is addressed both to the list and explicitly to me.]  [Also, I 
can move individual mails from one folder to another, if I want to.]


> if you need to take something off list then you should go through
> the steps needed to do so.

*  If I want to reply to 'Reply_to:', I tell my 'mail-reader' to do 
that -- otherwise it would "automatically" send any reply to the 
list the message came from.  [I've configured my 'mail-reader' with 
the addresses of the lists I subscribe to;  it does not need to look 
in 'Reply_to:' to find out how to send to the list.]

*  But, if the originator's email address does not appear in the 
header or body of the message I am reading, and I *do* want to send 
a private message, I may have to go to considerable trouble to find 
out what the originator's email address is.  Since many people do 
not sign their messages with their email address, I'm saved this 
effort if that address appears in the header.  And since my 
'mail-reader' gives me the option of sending to the 'Reply_to:' 
address of what I am reading, that's where I prefer the originator's 
email address to be.


mikus