I appreciate the fact that folks reply to the list.  I benefit from the answers to other folks' questions.  A private reply on the list should be for those cases where the reply is not appropriate for the public.  I f someone asks about the proper radiator fan switch for his van, well, I may have the same van and a related problem (and not even know it is a problem yet).  DMc

---- David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
> Dear Jay,
>
> At 10:27 AM 6/3/2010, Jay lefstein wrote:
> >hey guys< i am guilty of doing this sometimes as well. but honestly I
> >try not to hit reply all.
>
> Speaking personally, I think it's actually rather important that a
> considerable proportion of list replies be public.  Without
> belaboring the point (?this is *me* saying that?) if all replies were
> private the list would simply be an on-demand FAQ rather than a
> community; and furthermore nobody would ever know whether the OP had
> been satisfactorily answered or not.
>
>
> >if someone asks a question to the list , it's my understanding that we
> >should be replying to that person for the most part...
> >I have plastic ramps also and could have chimed in but after 4 others
> >already did i held back my 2 pennys worth...
>
> If your two-bits worth (inflation) didn't duplicate what was already
> there, why deprive us of it?  Granted there's plenty of duplication;
> the mechanics of a mailing list almost guarantee it.
>
>
> >i am pretty sure there has just been a bunch of emails about lol and
> >BS and WTF.... well this is the same Idea.
> >we all want to be heard but ( me included ) but it's just silly to
> >think that everybody on the list wants to hear the answers to every
> >question..
>
> Agreed.  But that's nowhere near saying that nobody on the list wants
> to hear the answers to any question.  There's an element of personal
> choice here -- the answers are offered for your use and/or pleasure,
> but if you don't wish to use or be pleased by some message or some
> thread, don't look at it (the moderators would like me to suggest
> that because of their sterling personal qualities and almost
> unheard-of wisdom, messages marked as "Mod" or "Moderator" are
> intrinsically interesting, at least to the point of a cursory
> glance).  One reason to read other people's answers is to start to
> develop an idea about who of us has a fair grasp of our subject and
> who not.  Another is serendipity.
>
> Yours,
> David

--
David McNeely