[webproducers] Re: E-mail list design (Was Re: Freelance webdesign)
- From: Anders Ramsay <anders@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <webproducers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 12:35:41 -0400
Interesting. This is the only group I have ever been on in which hitting
reply sends a message to the entire group. Two examples which use the
approach I describe (and I think is the one suggested below) are
CHI-WEB@xxxxxxx and Sigi-L@xxxxxxxx, in which hitting reply sends the
message to the original sender, and hitting reply all sends the message to
*all* members on the list. This is actually in line with a rule of thumb in
interface design, which I will now clumsily paraphrase from Ben
Shneiderman's great book on the subject: When deciding on the scope of a
system response to a user action, it is better to err on the side of smaller
scope, especially in cases when the action can not be undone. In other
words, even if some users may interpret reply as meaning reply all, the cost
to those users is insignificant--they can just re-send the message by
hitting reply all--as compared to the user who thinks reply just means reply
to the original sender, who can not undo the system's broader interpretation
of their action.
Additionally, for those users who want to just respond to the original
sender on this group, why should they have to undertake a set of interface
acrobatics to do something which should be very simple?
With the current setup, if I want to just respond to the original sender
(which I do by just hitting reply under normal circumstances), the simplest
technique I was able to discern with a webproducers email is:
1. hit reply to open a new message window
2. locate e-mail address of original sender in header of original email (or
email body) in the message window.
3. copy email address.
4. select 'To:' field
5. select 'webproducers' address
6. paste and replace webproducers address with clipboard contents.
7. type message and click send.
There may be ways of eliminating a step or two from this, but it seems it
would be a lot easier to allow users to just hit reply to respond to one
person or hit reply all to, well, reply to all.
-Anders
On 9/29/02 11:17 AM, Grant Larimer at grant@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> I would have to agree with David. When I reply to a newsgroup, I
> usually expect it to go to the entire group. The action I took was
> automatic and was not so much a failure on the structure of the group as
> it was a request for an action that was outside of the norm. That being
> said, I have seen mailing list emails where From: is populated with the
> individual sending the email and CC: is populated with the group email.
> This allows you to hit Reply to address the individual and hit Reply To
> All to address the group.
>
> Grant Larimer
> 646.279.3426
> grant@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: webproducers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:webproducers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Tomere
> Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:02 AM
> To: webproducers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [webproducers] Re: E-mail list design (Was Re: Freelance web
> design)
>
>
> I don't know if I agree with this. In my experience on discussion list,
>
> hitting reply always replies to the group. Private replies are
> relatively
> unusual, hence the current problems.
>
> At 09:59 AM 09/29/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>
>> Perhaps we are observing problematic design in action here. So, a note
> to
>> the list admin: Consider setting the reply-to address as the original
>> sender rather than the group. From my experience, that is the more
>> conventional setting, and it would appear that others have similar
>> expectations.
>>
>> -Anders
>>
>> On 9/28/02 7:25 PM, Grant Larimer at grant@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Shoot, I just did it too. Sorry
>>>
>>> Grant Larimer
>>> 646.279.3426
>>> grant@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
> ________________________________________________________________________
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>>
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> ___
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>> archive at the website.
>>
>> Questions and comments are welcome just e-mail me,
> morry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> David Tomere
> dtomere@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> davidtomere@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> www.webcritica.com
> Usability Matters.
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> __
> To unsubscribe send a blank message with unsubscribe in the subject to
> webproducers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> To access our webform (instead of sending e-mail) for popular commands
> including subscribe, unsubscribe, digest, and vacation visit
> www.WebProducers.org. You can also access the list archive at the
> website.
>
> Questions and comments are welcome just e-mail me,
> morry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> __________________________________________________________________________
> To unsubscribe send a blank message with unsubscribe in the subject to
> webproducers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> To access our webform (instead of sending e-mail) for popular commands
> including subscribe, unsubscribe, digest, and vacation visit
> www.WebProducers.org. You can also access the list archive at the website.
>
> Questions and comments are welcome just e-mail me, morry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
__________________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe send a blank message with unsubscribe in the subject to
webproducers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To access our webform (instead of sending e-mail) for popular commands
including subscribe, unsubscribe, digest, and vacation visit
www.WebProducers.org. You can also access the list archive at the website.
Questions and comments are welcome just e-mail me, morry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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