[amsat-bb] Why do people start new threads when replying to a post on amsat-bb?

[Wouter Weggelaar]

John,

The main problem that I have seen with threads is that some people are
just utterly unaware of the existence of threads. I have seem people
even "recycling" threads that happen to have the right addressees in
them. So pressing reply all and then changing the subject.

They are just blissfully unaware of how that is displayed on E-mail
clients post 1990.

One other thing that happens to me a lot: people who are asking me a
question in a thread with a completely unrelated subject. Often, I
have just deleted the thread, because that's what I do. If the message
is not about the subject, chances are that I have just deleted it.

Example: someone asking a technical question in a thread that has
subject "activation of grid XYZ" wil not be seen by me, because I do
not care about grids and delete all email with subjects related to
grids.

Nothing against sending grid emails though, just to be sure that I
don't upset someone.

Anyway, you may be attempting to herd coconuts, but maybe someone will
take notice.

Wouter PA3WEG



On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 8:34 PM, John Brier <johnbrier at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have never seen this on any other mailing list.
>
> Is it because the mailing list configuration sets "reply" to be the
> user who sent the email and not the list, and then it is easier to
> send an email to the list by starting a new thread as opposed to
> "reply all" and then having to edit out all the email addresses except
> amsat-bb?
>
> If the information in the emails to this list is helpful to others who
> search google and find it in the archives, it will be harder to find
> if it's across multiple threads.
>
> Additionally, not keeping things in thread makes it harder to follow a
> conversation and more difficult to manage email. If I am not
> interested in a particular thread I can just mark the whole thread
> read as opposed to two or three other threads.
>
> If a reply to an original thread is truly a different subject then it
> is common practice to change the subject like so:
>
> How do I search the archives? (was: Why do people start new threads
> when replying to a post on amsat-bb?)
>
> 73,
>
> John, KG4AKV
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