[wplug-jobs] mailing list config change for wplug-kobs

[Ted Rodgers]

On Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 3:07 AM, Pat Barron <pat at lectroid.com> wrote:
> On 9/7/2012 2:22 AM, Ted Rodgers wrote:
>>
>> I changed a setting on mailman for -jobs.  The default for "reply" was
>> set to reply to poster for the list rather than reply to the list.  I
>> do not know when or how the option was set to that, but unless there
>> is a general consensus saying "no" then I will leave "reply" set to
>> the list address.
>>
>>
>


I,  too, think "reply" on a jobs list would make sense to go only to
the original poster.  But, as happened earlier, a reply to a
discussion then only goes to one person, too .. providing some
confusion or preventing any "normal" discussion on-list without
manually adding -jobs as a CC.  (Let's not add that to the -jobs list
rules of user conduct/etiquette or ask for a vote on the matter,
ever.)

It's been my experience with the list that job posters' email
addresses show up as the sender (at least in the online archives) and
are also listed in the sender's closing and then additionally as part
of a signature line or field.  Because of the nature of the group and
the emailing capability of those who post and/or read the lists, I
dare assert that list recipients having the skill and/or ability to
copy and paste is not an unreasonable assumption --even with regard to
recipients who read mail with pine/mutt/mail/emacs or other command
line clients; and, I suggest that verification of the "To" field for
accuracy before sending is less troublesome overall than attempting to
correct multiple "replied to sender only" errors.

Either setting is going to lead to an error situation at some point: a
resume will either go to the list, or list replies meant to be public
will be single-user mailed instead.  Perhaps correctly replying could
serve as a first-step test at competence for applicants?  Note to
recipients: that is a joke without the emoticon.

> I wasn't around for the decisions about the list settings, but can imagine a
> possible thought process - if someone's replying to a job posting (as the
> list is often used to post), probably want to make it unlikely that a reply
> would accidentally go out to the list - could be a "career-limiting error"
> in some cases.  ;-)
>
As far as I know, list settings pre-date most anyone still active.
That said, if granted the opportunity, the topic could easily turn
into a terrible and heated hour long discussion during a GUM and
could, if permitted, call for research and analysis of the behavior of
other mailing lists, after of course spiraling into whether to count
all mailing list, just Linux lists, only jobs list, lists using only
Mailman, etc ... :)

> Though aside from that guess as to why it might have been done that way, I
> don't have a vested interest one way or the other.

Everything above said and button having been set, reply only set you,
Pat, as the recipient anyway.  Back in to check boxes in the mailman.

>
> --Pat.