[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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