Re: [tlug] Don't Hijack Threads/OO.org MIME types

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "jb" == Jonathan Byrne <jq@example.com> writes:

    jb> you have instead hijacked a thread yourself.

That's true but harshly stated.  He did change the subject.

Nor did Martin hijack the thread.  He followed up to a specific
comment that I made (which was apropos in its context of the
self-introduction thread), and properly changed the subject.  However,
if he did _not_ followup, but instead started a new thread, no MUA I
know except the Emacs-based ones would be able to find my post at all,
and even the Emacs MUAs would require substantial effort.  That's
something I really hate---not being able to find the parent.

It's also true that in many borderline cases what constitutes thread
hijacking varies from group to group.  In some groups changing the
subject is considered sufficient.

In a group like TLUG, and in Lyle's particular case, I agree that
starting fresh was mandatory.  But that is assuming the technical
knowledge of how threading works---ie, the RFC 2822 In-Reply-To and
References headers.  Recent Windows/Mac escapees should be assumed NOT
to have it, because unless they're using X?Emacs, they don't have a
decent MUA available.  roy lo deserves the treatment he got; he's had
plenty of public instruction, some excellent private tuition (and I've
written to him in private, too), and learned nothing.  Lyle didn't
deserve to be shouted at (and what's wrong with your MUA, can't you
inline screenshots or cut'n'paste from the summary display?! ;-)

Anyway, what really should be available (and is not, in _any_ MUA I
know of including Gnus) are manual thread-manipulation commands.  Cf
the commands used by bug trackers to manipulate issues---I'm seriously
considering using Roundup to manage my mail for this reason, although
I'll probably write something for Emacs instead.

-- 
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences     http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of Tsukuba                    Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
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