[ARC5] ARC5 List Treachery - Watch Out!

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Sat, Nov 20, 2010 at 6:27 PM, Mike Morrow <kk5f at earthlink.net> wrote:

> In effect, the ARC5 list is set up to maximize the number of private replys
> that inadvertently go to the whole list.  An intelligent set-up for REPLY would
> send the response ONLY to the original sender, not the whole list.  If one
> wants the message to go to all...well let me guess...I'll bet that's what that
> tricky little REPLY ALL button can be used to accomplish.  D'ya think???

I think some list admins do this in an attempt to either stimulate
activity on a dead list or under the false impression that all the
good information is being shared in private and that changing the
'reply' function to force all replies to the list will rectify it. In
nearly a decade and a half of doing this, I've never seen it work that
way. If anything, it has the opposite affect by chasing off folks who
prefer the standard reply/reply-to approach. Not unlike the fracturing
of lists into smaller sub-groups moving the information away from the
main group.

The RCA, National, and AM lists are others that I'm aware of using
this method. Activity on any of these lists hasn't changed a bit in
any regard other than the number of intended-personal replies going to
everyone. It's happened to me on more than one occasion, which makes
me post less on these lists. No doubt considered a good thing to some!

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4