OFFTOPIC Re: [Mailman-Users] Archive URL in postings (2.1b3)

[Kyle Rhorer]

On Tuesday 29 October 2002 15:57, Jay Sekora wrote:
> > addresses are -- addresses.
>
> Addresses represent people, or groups of people, and humans make
> distinctions among people and groups of people.  Who a message is
> addressed to is a huge and crucial part of the social context of the
> message.

Agreed.  As someone else pointed out, there are huge differences in 
meaning between snail mail addressed to "Resident", "Valued Customer", 
and "Mr. Samuel Bigshot, Esq.".  There's also a difference between a 
hand-addressed note and one where the address is typewritten.  If Jane 
Busy gives a hand-written note to her personal assistant as she runs 
out the office door to catch a plane with the instructions "Please mail 
this", and the assistant types the address onto a standard-issue 
letterhead envelope and runs it through the postage meter, I am going 
to treat that very differently than if the letter arrives with a 
handwritten recipient address and an old-fashioned stamp.  I'm also 
likely to be quite upset when I finally get around to opening the 
envelope with the typewritten address only to find out it is not a 
mass-mailed solicitation, but rather a personal (and possibly 
time-sensitive) note that Jane cared enough to hand write.  I feel that 
the analogy translates fairly well to email.

I can't say that I have thought the whole Mailman personalization/header 
munging issue through thoroughly enough to prefer one behavior over the 
other.  I just figured a slightly different perspective might help the 
discussion find its way toward the right direction, whatever that may 
be.

Kyle
-- 
Since the general civilizations of mankind, I believe there are more
instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual
and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden
usurpations.
                                                  -James Madison