Date:         Fri, 4 Aug 2006 17:05:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Reply Function
In-Reply-To:  <6da579340608041422h1e5d8cf3wf11e24ce3d7931f@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

While John's reasoning is sound, the reply function as per the listserv
software was initiated to reply to the original sender back in the old
"Lenti" days when the list was operated by Gerry Skerbitz at the U of Minn
dot edu address.  It was done to cut down on replies "en mass" to the list
(ie: reduced bandwidth) and made it easier to pmail a reply to the original
sender concerned.  While somewhat successful, as email programs/clients
became more powerful and user friendly, the "reply to all" has pretty well
done that purpose a dent.  There are many times when I reply by pmail,
rather than bore the list with my answer.

Lists spun off from the "mother list" (ie: Vanagon) that still function in
that manner (hitting Reply sends to the Originator) are the Vintagebus,
Type2 and WetWesties Lists.

Lists spun off that reply "en mass" (when using Reply) to the members are
ev_update (Eurovan), Vanagon Yahoo and Southwesties Lists, amongst others
(notice most are Yahoo (formerly (eGroups) based lists.
--
Jim Thompson
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
**********************************
On 8/4/06, John Bange <jbange@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 8/4/06, Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I don't know what the trick is. At the bottom of each message there are
> four
> > 'buttons' marked thusly:
> >
> >  Reply         Reply to All          Forward            Invite Jeff to
> Chat
> >
>
> Wow. I'm a gmail nerd and I didn't even think to try that! It Cc's the
> list automagically that way!
>
> FWIW, having the list "reply to" set to the sender's name has the
> benefit that when the list gets "Wallaced", the individual "wallaces"
> only bounce back once to the original sender. If gerry was set to put
> "vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com" there, the wallaces would bounce back to
> the list server "reply" address instead, which would send the bounce
> out to the whole list, triggering another wallace message that gets
> sent to the list-- lather, rinse, and repeat until someone comes along
> to stop the cascade of self-perpetuating wallaces.
>
> --
> John Bange
> '90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger"