List etiquette.

[Grant Edwards]

On Wed, Apr 23, 2003 at 10:40:37PM +0200, Jörn Engel wrote:
> On Wed, 23 April 2003 10:15:56 +0100, David Woodhouse wrote:
> >
> > Please ensure that you do not try to start a new thread
> > by just replying to an existing list message and changing the subject,
> > for similar reasons.
> 
> Why exactly? I kind of like the habit of changing the subject in the
> middle of a thread where appropriate, like "foo (was: bar)".
> 
> You are the boss, but I'd like to know the rationale.

If you don't change the In-Reply-To: header, a decent MUA will
thread the new article with the old thread.  It doesn't belong
there (or you wouldn't have changed the topic).

If you want to reply to a message and start a new thread, make
sure you remove the In-Reply-To: header also.  That way you'll
be starting a new thread -- which one must presume is your
intention when you change the Subject: header.

-- 
Grant Edwards
grante at visi.com