Errors-to: owner-drums@CS.UTK.EDU
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 00:17:42 -0400
Message-Id: <199508170417.AAA07864@CS.UTK.EDU>
From: Keith Moore <test1@sloth.cs.utk.edu>
To: test2@sloth.cs.utk.edu
Cc: test3@sloth.cs.utk.edu
Sender: test6@sloth.cs.utk.edu
Reply-to: test4@sloth.cs.utk.edu
Subject: Re: "Reply-To"
In-reply-to: MRC's message of "Wed, 16 Aug 1995 20:24:04 PDT."
             <MailManager.808629844.4753.mrc@Ikkoku-Kan.Panda.COM>

Mark Crispin writes:

> Many, if not the majority of, mailers have two reply functions.
>
> One function does the following:
>       MESSAGE *make_reply (MESSAGE *source)
>       {
>         MESSAGE *reply = new_message ();
>         reply->to = source->reply_to ? source->reply_to : source->from;
>         reply->subject = concat ("Re: ",source->subject);
>         reply->in_reply_to = source->message_id;
>         return reply;
>       }
> This function is commonly, although inaccurately, called "reply to sender" or
> sometimes just "reply".
>
> The other function does the following:
>       MESSAGE *make_reply_all (MESSAGE *source);
>       {
>         MESSAGE *reply = make_reply (source);
>         reply->cc = concat_addr (source->to,source->cc);
>         return reply;
>       }
> This function is commonly called "reply to all".
>
> This is very basic, and very commonly deployed.  No amount of wishing is
> going to make this go away.

I believe that there is a lot of subtle variation in how replies
are done.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Let's do a quick survey.

Everyone who wishes to participate in this survey, please reply to this
message.  Include in the body of the message:

+ the mail user agent you are using (if it's "mail" or "mailx" on UNIX,
  specify which platform and O.S.), and

+ the name of the reply command you used, and

+ anything else you think is relevant.

If your UA has more than one reply command, please reply
separately for each reply command.  If you use more than one UA, please
feel free to repeat this exercise for each UA you use.

However, please attempt to disable any user-specified defaults, so
that we will see how things work "as shipped".

I'll report back in a few days to summarize how it worked.

Keith