At 8:33 AM +1200 6/28/99, Olwen Williams wrote:
> I had major problems with my list when I set the list to reply-to
> sender. Flame wars and a rift in the list etc. I was accused of
> limiting people's rights under US law (I'm in NZ and my list was housed
> in NZ at the time so that amused me).
Here's a technique that I find very useful for situations like this.
Run a user survey. Ask everyone to send you feedback privately (where
people can't be coerced by intimidation, but odn't say that). Find
out what all of the users think, instead of the ones that are loud
and noisy.
One of three things will happen:
1) you'll find out they're right. If so, admit it and change.
2) you'll find out it's one or two loud, noisy people, and most
people don't agree with them. Then you can point out they don't have
a mandate, and close the issue down.
3) you'll find out (and this is quite common) that nobody cares,
except the couple of people who started it. And in that case, it
becomes a judgement call, and you're in charge. If there isn't a
large group of people who want a change, there's no reason to change
it (there are three reasons to change something: because new
technology makes it feasible to do now, because your users (not just
one or two users) want it that way, or because you, as list admin,
feel it's the right thing to do. If neither of the latter two are
true, don't do it. Just because a couple of users are screaming for
something doesn't mean they speak for the user base in general -- and
in fact, they probably don't. User surveys are one way to get this
issue out of a subjective "I wanna!" "I dun wanna!" fight into a more
objective one, because you can tell what the users as a group want.
It's really useful getting the users involved, but it's not something
that I'd use to manage every little detail. But if there's an issue
of importance or one where it's unclear just where the right answer
lies (or where you KNOW what the answer will be, but can't get the
losing side to shut up....), a quick "tell me what you think" survey
can really help clear the air. Just play it straight and don't ask
any question you aren't willing to live with if they surprise you...
("70 percent of users want the reply-to changed, but I'm leaving it
that way anyway...") If it's not negotiable, say so. But if you know
your subscriber base, you'll rarely be surprised how they answer
(and,f or the record, reply-to is one of the more common fights I see
on lists, and invariably, the ones that insist it has to be set as
reply-to-list are the louder contingent, but I have NEVER run a list
where they spoke for the majority. Most people prefer reply-to being
left unset, so the user can choose. I've surveyed on that one issue
half a dozen times or more, and never had more than a token
percentage of people who wanted it.)
--
Chuq Von Rospach (Hockey fan? <http://www.plaidworks.com/hockey/>)
Apple Mail List Gnome (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
Plaidworks Consulting (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
<http://www.plaidworks.com/> + <http://www.lists.apple.com/>
The Jedi that I admire most met up with Darth Maul and now he's toast...
(Weird Al Yankovic - The Saga Begins)
