[Tutor] [OT] Replies go to individuals, not the list?

[Brian van den Broek]

On Aug 20, 2013 3:04 PM, "Andy McKenzie" <amckenzie4 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 2:53 PM, Alan Gauld <alan.gauld at btinternet.com>
wrote:
>>
>> On 20/08/13 13:15, Andy McKenzie wrote:
>>
>>> Yep.  Someone decided it didn't make sense for "reply" to go to the list
>>> that sent the message
>>
>>
>> Lists never send messages. People do.
>>
>> So reply goes to the *person* who sent the message.

<snip>

> The problem is, as far as I'm concerned the message came from the list.
Needing to go to the dropdown and select "Reply to all" is just one extra
movement, and it's one I have to make every single time I reply.  In all
honesty, I can't think of a single time that I've wanted to reply to just
the original sender:  that's the point of a mailing list, to have
conversations on it.  I've occasionally been prompted to remember that I
wanted to ask an individual something specific off-list, but it's never
been a direct response to what was posted ON the list.

<snip>

> It's basically a practicality thing for me.  On a list where the vast
majority of replies went to the original sender, I'd agree with you.  For
something like this, it's just making me do extra work without providing me
with an extra benefit.

Hi all,

Alan's argument seems compelling, but is principled, thus perhaps
vulnerable to a `practicality beats purity' response.

What tips me against reply to munging is the principle of least damage,
itself eminently practical.

Imagine the non-actual possible world where this list reply munges and in
which I wished to write Andy directly to cast aspersions on Alan's
character and ancestry out of a misguided belief that reply to munging is
right. I hit reply and shortly afterwards realize that I am missing toes.

In the actual world, I might have accidentally sent this solely to Andy out
of inattention. Irksome, but I still have all 7 of my toes.

Powerful software often can and ought allow one to shoot oneself in the
foot. It ought not however be designed so that in one context, doing what
is safe and normal in another context surprisingly points a firearm at your
feet without the accompaniment of klaxons and lights. (And even then …)

Best,

Brian vdB
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