At 18:01 02-12-99 , unique wrote:
>What *does* concern me is that, when I am reading an HWG
>email that is currently in my inbox, I CANNOT reply *simply* 
>by typing my typical command/control-key combo for "reply".

Sure you can. The reply goes to the person who sent the message.

>If I attempt to do so, my "reply" is addressed ONLY to the 
>writer of the original email, and NOT to the list in general.

If you want to replay to all, then use your mail program's REPLY ALL option.

>ALL of HWG's lists that I'm on work in the same way.

Yes. This is a feature. It allows one to reply to either the person, or to
them and to the list.

Individual replies are often appropriate, such as for thank yous and me to
replies. Replies to the list are appropriate for considered replies to
questions, for example.

The consequence is that the lists see relatively little of the ~noise~
postings that clutter up most lists, things that belong via private email.
And can easily go back to the list, appropriately typically including a
courtesy reply directly to the individual.

>Can someone please offer some intelligent commentary 
>regarding this apparently "archaic" feature of the way 
>HWG's email lists are set up?

Careful, now, let's not be judgemental without first having information.

>The only reason I've "crossposted" this email is to save myself 
>5-10 minutes of unnecessary clerical activities.

There are two issues here, first whether there is any reason to inflict
multiple copies of your posting on people... frankly I can't imagine any,
since the answer should be the same, regardless of which list to which it
is posted. Second, were it a reasonable thing to do (although such is
beyond my imagination) I'll suggest that any email client that takes more
then 10-15 _seconds_ is hardly full-featured by a long shot.

Safe computing,  /Harold

ps. I'm replying only to one list... and would have used hwg-ops were it
still extant. Alas.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harold A. Driscoll                 mailto:Harold(at)Driscoll.Chi.IL.US
#include <std/disclaimer>                 http://Driscoll.Chi.IL.US

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