[UK-CONTEST] Replying

[Andy Swiffin]

>>> On 07/05/2009 at 12:16, in message <001b01c9cf05$54d59780$fe80c680$@uk.com>,
"Callum m0mcx" <callum at mccormick.uk.com> wrote:
> 
> Still, I've not heard a valid reason why NOT to change other than "that's
> what we do around here". Don't argue with the powers that be.
> 


I don't really care either way as my mailer is better than the "average" and dead easy to pick reply all (with helpful choices about who "all" is)  but there is one  good reason for keeping the original From: field and not adding a Reply-To to go to the list:

This is where people setup those irritating "out of the office" messages, which end up spamming the whole list with "I am out of the office on some jolly or other etc etc".    Depending on how dumb the mail client is and whether the mailserver is sufficiently "hardened" there can also be issues where braindead mailclient does a reply where some muppet put up an Out of Office the which would go to the list which would go to the muppet which would go to the list which.....   there lies the bones of many an MTA...   We have seen this not that long ago (again)

So,   it's a while since I acted as Postmaster here and I'm out of date but please make sure that any changes are accompanied by suitable anti looping protection, X-Loop headers or whatever.

BTW, I checked the lists I'm subscribed to here (professional lists not hobby ones) and most reply to the sender either by not having a Reply-to and using From: or by having an explicit reply-to which goes to the original sender.   As one of those lists is the "National mailing list for ac.uk postmasters"  I would suggest that as a reasonable role model.....

73
Andy
'8oeg


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