Posted by Orin Kerr:
The Group Dynamics of Mass Unsolicited E-Mail Lists:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2006_08_20-2006_08_26.shtml#1156610474
Every once in a while, some random person sends out an unsolicited
e-mail to an assembled distribution list of anywhere from 50 to 200
addresses found on the web trying to either settle some personal score
or try to bring attention to a cause.
In my experience as an occassional recipient of such e-mails --
whether because of blogging or the day job, or some other random
connection -- the dynamic usually goes something like this:
1. One or two people will respond first with a "reply all" asking
the sender to "please take me off this distribution list."
2. A few people will respond with a "reply all" suggesting to the
sender that it's really not nice to spam so many people like that,
and/or that the message of the e-mail is wrong or offensive.
3. A bunch of people will then chime in with "reply all" responses
urging recipients to "STOP REPLYING WITH 'REPLY ALL' AS NO ONE
CARES, AND HITTING 'REPLY ALL' IS REALLY ANNOYING!!!."
4. After the flurry of "reply all"s condeming the use of "reply
all"s, some time will pass, and then someone on the list will have
to follow up "reply all" with some kind of comment on the
substantive message of the initial e-mail.
5. The comment will draw one last "reply all" condemning the use of
"reply all"s, and then the round is over.
It's the folks who participate in Step 3 without a hint of irony that
I find the most amusing. But then the whole thing is sort of funny, I
guess.
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