Srdjan Todorovic wrote: [...]
- What has Microsoft got to do with the email list etiquette on this list?
It was used as an example of another way this list does what is right rather than what may be the most common.
- There are lists that follow different conventions - there is no
One-Size-Must-Fit-All. Surely that's the beauty of open systems, open source, and the Internet in general? We can pick and choose and not get bogged down in silly flamewars.
Yes, indeed, it should be quite within the power of any reader to add a mail filter to set a Reply-To if they really want one. If it's not within their ability, then I expect someone would post a suitable example when told what software is being used.
I feel it would be better to fix the buggy email clients to support the List-Post header (RFC 2369) when present if possible, though.
- Why do we even care what other lists such as Debian use? [...]
It was used as an example that not all the rest of the world abuses Reply-To headers.
- Brett's email, while understandably seeming a little enraged, only
inadvertently functions to fuel the debate. "Because the rest of the world is *NOT* doing what you are saying." There is possibly no definitive proof of this and also it brings in my point number 5, above.
The counter-example of debian lists is a definitive proof of this, no?
- What other lists do is irrelevant. What Brett thinks is the best
way to do this, is irrelevant. What only matters is that everyone follows the ALUG mailing list etiquette.
So criticise the person who started the "rest of the world" argument instead?
[...]
I feel a bit sorry for Ian - it would have been better for people to have responded with the ALUG mailing list rules as a matter of fact. A simple "This is the way ALUG operates. These decisions were taken by experienced members and we see no reason to change it. If you feel we should change it, give us your very carefully reasoned point of view and try to convince us that your idea is superior." would have worked better.
Ian was on this list at least 8 years ago and we seem to go through this discussion about once a year (not always with Ian, of course), so it's not like the lack of Reply-To overriding should have been news to him. That's why you might have detected a little exasperation in some replies.
The List-Post solution has been published for 12 years now. Inviting people to give reasons why we should revisit problems from the mid-90s seems far worse than suggesting that they help fix any remaining buggy mail clients.
Hope that explains,