[OS X TeX] My Soap Box

[Ross Moore]

Hi Dick,

On 11/02/2011, at 9:37 AM, Richard Koch wrote:

> The history of email is perhaps against fixing this problem, but we need to be gentle
> with those who do the reasonable thing and then get bitten. 
> 
> I know the etiquette page says "Please do not start a new
> thread (with the corresponding new subject) by replying to a post from another thread."
> This message is too vague. It should say "Please do not start a new thread by
> replying to a post from another thread. Even if you change the
> subject, mail will mark reply messages as belonging to the original thread. You
> must write use the "New" button to start a new thread."

Before doing this, you should "Copy" the address of the intended 
recipient from that other message that you had wanted to use.
Then after "New" you can "Paste" it into the "To:" field.

> 
> I'd personally add "it makes no sense, but there is nothing we can do about it."

There is always some kind of sense.
Just using the subject line to determine the thread has its
own set of complications.

Some mailers add "Re:" at each reply, even if there is one (or more)
there already, so the subject lines grow and grow, eventually exhausting
something somewhere --- e.g. in a mailing-list archive.
 
Sometimes you modify the "Subject:" (e.g. to state that the
message has a solution to the former problem) --- but still 
want the messages connected in the same thread.


The best way to avoid "breaking the law" is to understand and
appreciate why it is there in the first place.

But yes, people like to be lazy --- we all do this!


> Dick Koch


Cheers,

	Ross

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Ross Moore                                       ross.moore at mq.edu.au 
Mathematics Department                           office: E7A-419      
Macquarie University                             tel: +61 (0)2 9850 8955
Sydney, Australia  2109                          fax: +61 (0)2 9850 8114
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