default "reply-to-all" (was Re: FrameMaker 8.0.3 Update Now Available (POSSIBLE WORKAROUND))

[Jeremy H. Griffith]

On Wed, 14 May 2008 22:05:47 -0400, Alan Houser <arh at groupwellesley.com> 
wrote:

>Which is worse? --
>
>- You reply to a message on the list. Assuming that you are replying to 
>the sender, you include information that is personal, privileged, or 
>inappropriate-for-public-consumption. Your reply goes to the entire 
>list. The damage is done.
>
>- You reply to a message on the list. It goes to the sender. With two 
>mouse clicks, you correct the oversight and direct your reply to the list.
>
>A default "reply-to-all" listserv configuration is evil.

Quite right.  But it's worse than that.  A list with reply-to-all
is vulnerable at any time to a "mail loop", in which an error by
one member results in an exponentially-increasing avalanche of
copies of every message posted back to the list.  Reply-to-sender
prevents that.  While there are other ways to detect and prevent
such loops, not every listowner has implemented them, and one such
incident can cause most of the listmembers to depart fast... never
to return.

As a listadmin myself, I consider that a Very Bad Idea.
-- Jeremy H. Griffith, at Omni Systems Inc.
  <jeremy at omsys.com>  http://www.omsys.com/