[pct-l] Posting Etiquette: Some tips especially for Gmail Users

[Gary Wright]

Good tips regarding trimming reply text but...

On Oct 18, 2013, at 2:42 PM, Betty Wheeler <bettywheeler at gmail.com> wrote:
> *3. Change the subject line when you change topics or when you are replying
> to a Digest email:*

Please do not use 'Reply' in any way shape or form if you are starting a new topic.

You don't see it but email systems keep references to messages generated via 'reply' so that they can present 'conversations' of related messages.  If you use 'reply' but then change the subject as a shortcut to composing a new message, you've hijacked the thread and the new topic will get mixed up with the previous topic when presented by the email software.

New topics should be established by creating a new message and sending it to 'pct-l at backcountry.net' with a new subject.

Replies to digests are problematic all around since you can't really accurately reference your reply as associated to a particular message within the digest. No good solution but just crafting a new message is probably the least confusing since your digest reply is probably going to appear as a new topic anyway when people see it in the mail client.

Radar