Re: Mutt group reply

[Solar Designer <solar@openwall.com>]

On Sun, Jul 13, 2014 at 07:59:04PM +0100, Laurent Bercot wrote:
> On 13/07/2014 17:34, Solar Designer wrote:
> 
> >An alternative is to reconfigure the list so that it doesn't set the
> >Reply-To header, but this may result in many replies being inadvertently
> >sent off-list.  I think it's better for Mutt users to adopt a habit to
> >answer that question with "n".
> 
>  Even better: configure Mutt to use Mail-Followup-To.
>  http://cr.yp.to/proto/replyto.html
> 
>  Mutt supports it, it just needs to be configured via an option. I can't
> remember the details because it's been a long time, but back when I was
> using Mutt, I did that for all the mailing-lists I was subscribed to, and
> it worked flawlessly.

This suggestion keeps coming up, but I think it's a solution to a
different problem.  The mailing list sets Reply-To to keep discussions
on the list regardless of what MUA people are using.  When the mailing
list is configured that way, Mutt exhibits the behavior with group
replies that I have mentioned, and the workaround is either to answer
"n" to the question or to set the reply_to option differently:

       reply_to
              Type: quadoption
              Default: ask-yes

              If  set, Mutt will ask you if you want to use the address listed
              in the Reply-To: header field when replying to  a  message.   If
              you answer no, it will use the address in the From: header field
              instead.  This option is useful for reading a mailing list  that
              sets the Reply-To: header field to the list address and you want
              to send a private message to the author of a message.

This problem and the workaround apply even if the mailing list in
question is configured in Mutt as such, in which case Mutt would set
Mail-Followup-To on your messages, but that's irrelevant.

If I understand correctly, Mail-Followup-To reduces occurrences of
duplicate replies to you, but it does not prevent missed group replies
from you to off-list message senders when the list sets Reply-To.

Alexander