[R-sig-ME] Modifying the subject in replies

[Dan McCloy]

While I agree that breaking message threading is annoying and users should not wilfully change subject lines, I would like to note that what you are asking is analogous to asking people to turn off their virus scanning software. My email client does not add [FORGED] to subject lines, but it does give me a big red warning at the top of your message, Doug, saying "This email has failed its domain's authentication requirements. It may be spoofed or improperly forwarded!" It is likely that the [FORGED] message is meant to convey the same warning to users of other mail systems / clients. This may or may not be under user control. In sum: this problem may ultimately be the fault of the list's mailserver doing something non-standard, and may not be within the power of the individual subscribers to alter.

-- dan
Daniel McCloy
https://dan.mccloy.info
Research Scientist
Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences
University of Washington

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
On Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:51 AM, Douglas Bates <bates using stat.wisc.edu> wrote:

> There are several messages on the list now that have a subject line
> starting with
>
> [R-sig-ME] [FORGED]
>
> If your mail client is adding the `[FORGED]` to the subject line I would
> appreciate it if you stopped its doing so. One of the first rules of
> interacting on a mailing list is "Don't change the subject line". Most
> mail clients thread messages according to the subject line and by changing
> it you ensure that the conversation is spread over multiple threads instead
> of a single thread. Changing the subject line to include alarming and
> incorrect characterizations of the message is first class bush league
> stuff. (And, yes, "first class bush league" is a contradiction in terms.)
>
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>
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