[Discuss] DMARC issue, Yahoo and beyond

[Richard Pieri]

Derek Martin wrote:
> If a mailing list--which is already a special case of e-mail
> usage--*ADDS* a reply-to header to an e-mail which matches the from
> header of the message, when none previously existed, the net effect is
> nil: respondants will (assuming they even honor reply-to, which is not

It most certainly is problematic. The net effect is that it causes good
mail programs to behave inconsistently. When set to the list it breaks
reply to author functions in good mail programs (Elm, Pine and their
derivatives; Thunderbird and Seamonkey, and even the venerable Berkeley
Mail to name a few). When set to the original author it breaks reply to
list and reply to all functions in those same programs.

Lists setting or rewriting Reply-To headers punishes users of good, open
source mail programs and rewards users of broken, proprietary mail
programs like Outlook.

Thoughtless? Hardly. I've thought about this off and on for far too long.

-- 
Rich P.