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Date: 18 Oct 1997 04:28:32 -0000
Message-ID: <19971018042832.12249.qmail@cr.yp.to>
From: "D. J. Bernstein" <djb@cr.yp.to>
To: drums@cs.utk.edu
Subject: Re: Reply-To Straw Poll and Moving forward

> If I can't get anyone to
> volunteer for any of the three options, I'll declare the issue permanently
> closed

I have already proposed some text, not matching any of Chris's options:

   X.X.X. Reply-To

   Reply-To lists one or more addresses.

   By definition, the ``simple reply targets'' in a message are the
   Reply-To addresses if Reply-To is present, or the From addresses if
   Reply-To is not present.

   A response to a message MAY be addressed to the simple reply targets.
   Most MUAs support several types of automatically addressed responses,
   including a response to the simple reply targets.

I have some specific suggestions for MUA reply features---see
http://pobox.com/~djb/proto/replyto.html---but obviously they are not
ready for standardization.

There are no ``technical/deployment/UI problems'' in this proposed text.
It merely provides terminology for use in higher-level specifications.

As for Eric Raymond's proposed prohibition on MUAs ignoring Reply-To:

   * This prohibition is violated by pine.

   * This prohibition is violated by mutt.

   * Users demand that MUAs violate this prohibition. See the Reply-To
     Munging Harmful page for evidence and a plausible explanation.

I believe that the demand for reply-to-From will disappear after
Reply-To-All is widely adopted and ``Reply-To: list'' is stamped out.
However, it is a useful feature today. I object to any attempt to
prohibit or discourage it.

---Dan
Set up a new mailing list in a single command. http://pobox.com/~djb/ezmlm.html