Responding to Dell

Rodger Whitlock totototo@pacificcoast.net
Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:28:21 PDT
On 10 Aug 05 at 16:06, Dell Sherk wrote:

> Mary Sue, is there a way that we can make this work more
> safely? Isn't there some sort of "Reply-to" thing we could
> use?

There certainly is such a thing as a Reply-to header, but I 
can't tell what email client you're using, nor whether it 
supports that header.

If, like most people, you use Outlook Express, you *may* find 
that setting the Reply-to address is quite difficult or even 
impossible. For some funny reason, Microsoft doesn't seem to 
understand the email standards very well and thinks it's okay 
to leave out features they don't grok.

[That is the voice of experience speaking...]

AOL is likely to be even worse, of course. :)

But there's a further problem, even with well-designed email
client software. Such programs allow you to choose where your
reply goes from among the various addresses associated with a
given message, namely:

From
To
Reply-to
Cc
Sender

It's very easy to select the wrong one even with good software.

Morals: life ain't simple and the internet wasn't designed for 
dummies. Pay close attention to where your email replies are 
aimed because it's easy to get it wrong.

Further moral guideline: learn how to drive your email program 
so that clicking "send" doesn't actually send a message, but 
just puts it into a queue. Then later review each message 
before finally committing it to the tender mercies of TCP/IP.

ObBulbs: In flower as I write: Leucojum roseum, L. autumnale,
Crocosmia 'Star of the East' and many other cultivars, assorted 
crinums, Cyclamen hederifolium, Agapanthus 'Bressingham Blue' 
and A. 'Bressingham White'.


-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island


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