Additions at bottom of post... > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Adams [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 6:12 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [users][OT] Thread Hijacking, @ John, @ Andy - > explanation > > On Thursday 17 June 2010 17:53, John Kaufmann wrote: > > Andy, sorry that I don't have an immediate answer to your > question, but > > I do have a request: > > Please don't hijack a thread for a new question; it's much better to > > start your own thread. > > > > John > > John, when you make a request like this you actually have to > explain what > hijacking is. You have to explain what threading is as well > to people, as it > is not a well known technique outside of project mailing > lists. Thank-you > however for keeping your reply civil and not flaming, however > if you change > the topic you should change the subject line. > > Andy - > http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Thread%20Jackin g&defid=2010833 > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DonDiego/Thread_hijacking > http://www.openoffice.org/ml_guidelines.html > > A thread is a collection of emails replying to an original > email. Many email > clients can present this collection in a hierarchical view. > Many of these > email clients can also collapse that thread so only the > original email > subject/posters name/date is shown. When collapsed > highlighting may indicate > when new emails are sent to that thread. I have added a > minimal image in a > _small_ ODG document, which may require zooming, to > illustrate. This shows, > courtesy of KMail: > 1. An expanded thread - "Keystone_install" (the minus "-" > will collapse this > thread if clicked on). > 2. A collapsed thread - "How to Search Archives" - (the plus > "+" indicating > there are replies collapsed, thus not shown). > 3. A thread with no replies - "openoffice.org" - (no plus or minus). > > Many people do not know that many of us can opt to ignore any > further emails > in a thread if the thread is not in our field. I can and > frequently do, right > click and "ignore thread". So to reply to someone else's > email with a new > subject may get that subject ignored by up to half the people > that may be > able to usefully contribute to it. Often this can be overcome > with a right > click on the desired email address and selecting something > like "Compose > Email To". This option is dependent on your email client.
Michael, This was a dandy explanation, but glossed one important aspect - the threading is accomplished by your e-mail client making use of info in the header of each posted message. Thus, if you just hit "Reply" to any-old message, and then change the "Subject: " line, you have not changed the (often hidden) header info that indicates your new message is still part of the old thread to which you are 'replying'. I know you (Michael, John, and most long-term list users) understand the mechanism, but it helps some people to have the operation explained so they know _why_ the unwanted behavior occurs, and thus _why_ your suggested action is the cure. Much of the problem itself arises from so many people using MS Outlook (and e-mail clients that emulate it) which hides the bulk of header info and makes it both difficult and unlikely that the average user will ever see most of the header content of their mail. Out of sight is out of mind. . . and outside of comprehension, too. - Kevin (who has to use MS Outlook at the office... :-) ) <bumpf> The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
