[ntp:hackers] eMail Header munging (was: BitKeeper (was: public server listing))

Dean Gibson (NTP Administrator) ntp at ultimeth.com
Wed Nov 10 08:52:49 PST 2004


Brad Knowles wrote on 2004-11-10 03:49:
>         See <http://www.unicom.com/pw/reply-to-harmful.html> for a 
> littany of reasons why.

That's a one-sided view.  Here are my arguments for munging:

1. It saves work.  On EVERY reply on a non-munged list (like this reply for 
example), after pressing "Reply to All" on my mailer (Eudora 5.1), I have to:

1.1. Delete the default "To:" field (which contained Brad & David's eMail 
address).  I do this because I believe it is bad manners to send duplicate 
copies to people.

1.2. Copy the default "Cc:" field (which contains the list address) to the 
"To:" field.

1.3. Delete the default "Cc:" field.

1.4 In practice, on Eudora 1.1-1.3 can be combined into a simple 
cut-and-paste, but I have to do it on EVERY reply I send to the group.  On 
a munged list, I simply press reply.

2. Replying to the GROUP is (for me, and I suspect most people) is the most 
common desired action.

3. On most lists, I don't WANT (or need) my own eMail address to be 
viewable in the messages I post, ESPECIALLY in list archives.  In 
particular, this cuts down on spam, and I don't have to change my eMail 
address weekly (typically by incrementing a number at the end) as a result 
of spammer trolling/harvesting (strangely, not on this list, but very 
common on others).  Yahoo groups obliterates my original eMail address, and 
that's just fine with me.  On a Yahoo list, if someone wants to send me a 
private eMail, they can do so through the Yahoo web interface designed for 
that purpose.  Oh, they don't have web access?  Tough;  there's no "right" 
to be able to send me eMail.

4. In my experience, there is rarely a need to send a private message that 
is on-topic (unless you consider flames, which I don't consider to be a 
"need").  Private messages should be composed specially, with due (ie 
careful) consideration for addresses.  It's a habit that should be 
developed, regardless of whether a list munges addresses.

Now, I'm not a strong advocate of munging, but I did want to point out that 
the above link is a one-sided presentation of (in my opinion) just one good 
argument ("choice") repeated multiple times in different forms.  I'm happy 
with non-munging on this list, UNTIL the list starts to be 
trolled/harvested for spam.

-- Dean







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