I would like to note that sending a reply to the message originator
rather than the whole list is not considered to be a bug by the author
of the majordomo (list server) software.
I switched all lists to the new version of majordomo; your lists are
configured to add the "Reply-To: <listname>" header line to all
messages; the rest depends on the mail packages that your subscribers
use. Our elm makes use of this field when replying, but I can not guarantee
that other MUAs behave similar.
--Michael.
END OF MESSAGE
Please note the implications. If you read a message and just press the
reply button, your reply should go only to the person who sent it. You
can verify this by noting the address listed in the "Reply-to" field. If
you want your reply to go to the whole list, which I assume you normally
will, you have two choices. The simplest is to add the list address
(LISTNAME@ccat.sas.upenn.edu) in the COPIES TO: field, if your local
software provides one, as most do. The alternative is to send a new
message to the list address, identified as a reply to so-and-so. If you
get into the habit of doing that, we can finally carry on sustained
conversations with a minimum of effort. You can minimize the effort
further if you make an alias for the list address.
Only one thing remains to be done, namely testing to make sure that the
first method works. To do that, I will ask you, when you read this
message, to send a direct reply to the list using the first method
(filling in the COPIES TO: field). Please indicate in the message that
that is what you are doing. Before you delete this message, please return
to it and send another direct reply without filling in the COPIES TO:
field, stating that that is what you are doing. I will be able to tell
from the results what is working and what isn't, and will inform you
withink 48 hours of the simplest procedure that works. The method of
sending a new message is bound to work, and so doesn't have to be tested.
Sorry for the imposition, but this should be the last time.
I will be back in Philadelphia 20 July. Many thanks.
-- Nathan Sivin History and Sociology of Science University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104-3325