[IRCServices] Ircd's and Services....

[quension at softhome.net]

> Firstly it's very rude to blame Chris for what is infact the mailing list
> administrator's fault for badly configuring the mailing list software.

Without intending to personally insult or otherwise anger anyone this
time around, I still insist this is a client issue.  Yes, Andrew could
reconfigure the list software as a workaround, but that doesn't detract
from the client's responsibility.

I attempted to make a point last time about this, but I wasn't very
clear.  I also went off on a tangent by saying "Reply-To field is always
ircservices at ender.shadowfire.org", which besides being wrong, was
largely irrelevant.  Doh.  So, here's another go at it.  This time I'm
digging up RFC822, which AFAIK is the current standard for internet text
messages.

Select quotes from 4.4.4. "AUTOMATIC USE OF FROM / SENDER / REPLY-TO":

        For systems which automatically  generate  address  lists  for
        replies to messages, the following recommendations are made:
[...]
            o   If the "Reply-To" field exists, then the reply  should
                go to the addresses indicated in that field and not to
                the address(es) indicated in the "From" field.
[...]
        This recommendation is intended  only  for  automated  use  of
        originator-fields  and is not intended to suggest that replies
        may not also be sent to other recipients of messages.   It  is
        up  to  the  respective  mail-handling programs to decide what
        additional facilities will be provided.

Yes, I realize the last part clearly states it's only a
recommendation... but recommendations are not made without reason.

Okay, so that explains "Reply-To" vs. "From".  But, I don't think that's
the issue here, since "From" is usually (I'm not going to say "always"
;) the address of the actual person who sent the message.  So where is
the second mailing list address coming from?
Relevant headers from message
<<A HREF="msg00913.html">001701c037af$60b12340$0100a8c0 at excaliburnetworks.com</A>>:

   To:       <ircservices at Snow.shadowfire.org>
   Reply-To: ircservices at ender.shadowfire.org

Aha, so we have two different mailing list addresses.  Considering most
people are replying, the only field that needs to be considered is
"Reply-To".  This is where I loudly insist the client is at fault. 
Reply does NOT mean "broadcast to everyone who may have ever seen this
message on Earth".  Reply means "send response back to originator".  As
per RFC822, the "Reply-To" field is to be used in this case.  The RFC
even backs me up on this in its wording: "For systems which
automatically generate address lists for *REPLIES* to messages ..."
(emphasis added).

Another note, in regard to my client, Netscape Messenger 4.74:  I have
two buttons to choose from when replying to messages: "Reply to sender
only" and "Reply to sender and all recipients".  For the message with
the headers I displayed above, the first one generates a message
template with a single "To" line, containing
"ircservices at ender.shadowfire.org".  The second button generates a
message template with multiple "To" addresses:
"ircservices at ender.shadowfire.org" and
"ircservices at Snow.shadowfire.org".  That may be useful in some cases,
but certainly not here.

The solution to the above issue?  Configure the client to behave
properly, or ditch it and get a better one.

Again, this isn't intended to be a personal attack on anyone; merely an
observation (OK, an _opinionated_ observation) that some mail clients
just do stupid things.

-- Quension

P.S.  Did I make my point clearer this time? ;)

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