mail to individuals

[Liam Proven]

On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 5:13 AM, Cameron Hutchison <lists at xdna.net> wrote:
> Odd <iodine at runbox.no> writes:
>>Samuel Thurston, III wrote:
>
>>> "why is the list configured wrong" when in fact the proper question is
>>> "why is my email client broken, and why do i continue to use it even
>>> though it is".
>
>>The email client isn't broken. It simply lacks a function that wouldn't
>>be needed if lists are set up in a way that makes the most sense.
>
> "Makes the most sense" to who?
>
> If the list were to be configured the way you propose it should be, what
> button/key-press/menu-item should I use when I want to privately reply
> to the author of an email sent to the mailing list?
>
> It seems email clients would need a new function called reply-to-author
> for this case. This means the "reply" function is now polymorphic/modal
> - in some cases it will reply to the author, in others it will reply to
> the list. Modal interfaces are usually considered confusing,
> particularly when there is no indication of the mode.
>
> To me, the functions reply, reply-all and reply-to-list having
> well-defined and invariant behaviour is what makes the most sense.

I'm sorry, but no.

It may conform to some lovely idealised rational notion of
orthogonality inside your head but it is a complete pain in the real
world.

The purpose of an email list is discussion. That is its raison d'etre.
This means mails go to the list and everyone sees them. You can
readily copy an address and email that individual person if you want.

The email came from the list, not from the individual. The reply
should go to where the mail came from: the list.

The individual did not email me; they emailed the list. The list then
emailed me. The reply should go back to where the email came from
last.


-- 
Liam Proven • Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk • GMail/GoogleTalk/Orkut: lproven at gmail.com
Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 • Cell: +44 7939-087884 • Fax: + 44 870-9151419
AOL/AIM/iChat/Yahoo/Skype: liamproven • LiveJournal/Twitter: lproven
MSN: lproven at hotmail.com • ICQ: 73187508