[X4U] List Threading and subject changes

[revDAVE]

On 7/9/05 1:53 AM, "Eugene" <list-themacintoshguy at fsck.net> wrote:

> Current mail standards tag messages with a unique identifier set within
> the "Message-ID" mail header.  When responding to messages, mail clients
> not only set another unique Message-ID for the reply message, but they
> also include the Message-ID of the "original" message in another mail
> header (usually "In-Reply-To" and/or sometimes "References").  This
> chain (actually, it's a "tree" for comp sci people) of messages and
> replies is known collectively as a "thread".  And each message can stand
> on its own, or be a reply to another message, which can be a reply to
> another message, and so on, etc.
> 
> These unique identifiers are mostly invisible to end users, but their
> effects are displayed as threads in mail apps.  However, not knowing how
> things work behind the scenes, users think that threads start with a new
> "Subject" line.  For the most part, that's what normally happens.  But
> often on mailing lists, users choose to "reply" to a message and change
> the "Subject" line, thinking that this starts a new thread.  However,
> mail clients see that users have chosen to "reply", which specifically
> means to reply to that message yet remain in that thread of discussion.
> So it maintains all of the necessary Message-ID in all the usual places.
> Even when the user changes the "Subject" line, it's still part of that
> thread.  It's clearly a case of users thinking one way, and mail apps
> thinking another way.
> 
> There are two solutions, both of which suck in their own right:
> 
> 1) Train users to learn what "Reply" really means, and to better
> configure their mail clients to recognize mailing lists.
> 
> 2) Add checks in mail programs so that if they notice users choosing to
> reply to a list message but changing the subject, then they prompt users
> and asking them to start a new thread or not.
> 
> This is probably the only time I'm gonna spend this much time writing up
> something this long on this subject.  Feel free to save this message and
> repost it when other people ask... because there will always be other
> people that ask...


Thanks very much for that perfect explanation - it makes total sense!

--
Thanks - RevDave
CoolCat at hostalive.com
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