Re: [Evolution] Reply for list messages should go back to the list

[Patrick O'Callaghan <poc usb ve>]

On Tue, 2010-07-13 at 12:01 -0430, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:
> On Mon, 2010-07-12 at 10:14 -0430, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:
> > Note: this is a comment on Evo itself, rather than the Evo list.
> >
> > As someone who posts quite a lot on this list, I'm forever having to
> > deal with people replying to my personal address rather than the list
> > address. Of course they should be using Reply To List (Ctrl-L) or even
> > Reply-To-All (Shift-Ctrl-R) but occasionally they forget and use just
> > Reply (Ctrl-R) so one has to remind them. I'm sure other frequent
> > contributors find the same thing.
> >
> > An obvious solution to this is to do what Kmail does. When the message
> > being replied to contains a List-Post header, Ctrl-R should do the same
> > as Ctrl-L. There should also be a Reply-To-Author command for the rare
> > case when the reply should be directed to the message Reply-To field,
> > presumably the author's personal address.
> >
> > This would work on lists, including this one, which follow RFC-2822 and
> > don't do "Reply-To munging". For those that do munge the Reply-To field,
> > a reply to the author would require some editing, but that's already the
> > case with these lists so nothing is lost.
> >
> > (Those who follow the Fedora Users list will know there's been a long
> > thread about munging, which that list does do.)
>
> I've rethought this proposal in the light of comments by several people,
> particularly David Woodhouse. This proposal supersedes the original and
> seeks to minimize trauma and give some extra funcionality:
>
> When the message being replied to is *not* a list message (i.e. the
> List-* headers -- specifically List-Post -- are not present), then
> everything works as now, except that Reply To List (Ctrl-L) has the same
> effect as Reply To All (Shift-Ctrl-R).
>
> When List-Post is present, Ctrl-L has the same effect as currently, i.e.
> it replies to the List-Post address only.
>
> In all cases, Reply To Sender (Ctrl-R) works exactly as now.
>
> A new Reply To Author action (no shortcut) replies only to the message
> originator, even when the message is from a munged list. Munged lists
> are detected by comparing the Reply-To header with the List-Post header
> (note that the former is an address while the latter is a URI). If they
> don't match, do the same as Ctrl-R. If they do match, ignore Reply-To
> and do the same as Ctrl-R.

Having read the extensive comments over the last day or two, I'd like to
propose the following (this is a slightly modified version of my second
proposal and is about as simple as I can make it and still cover the
behaviour I'd like):

Reply To List is bound to Ctrl-L as now, and has a toolbar button. When
Ctrl-L is inactive, the button greys out.

A Preference option allows Ctrl-L to fall back to Shift-Ctrl-R when the
List-Post header is not detected. This implies that Ctrl-L (and the
toolbar button) are always active.

In all cases, Reply To Sender (Ctrl-R) and Reply To All (Shift-Ctrl-R)
both work exactly as now.

A new Reply To Author action (no shortcut, no toolbar icon) replies only
to the message originator, even when the message is from a munged list.
Munged lists are detected by comparing the Reply-To header with the
List-Post header (note that the former is an address while the latter is
a URI). If they don't match, do the same as Ctrl-R. If they do match,
ignore Reply-To and do the same as Ctrl-R.

poc