OK - So I'm not a mute swan but my vote is YES, a thousand times YES.

I subscribe to TWEETERS to communicate to TWEETERS and my reply should
be to TWEETERS. If I wanted another just another e-mail server/mailbox
I would have gone elsewhere.

At one point I was sponsoring/resourcing/running 10 list servers. My
users would have killed me had I proposed such a change, I've never seen
a list server with such a configuration (perhaps this is why there was
push-back from the UW cybergods?) The default of private reply is
entirely inappropriate for what is set up as a public forum.
This isn't a bulletin board or threaded discussion group (these let you
pick and choose and communicate publicly only those things you are
interested in) - it is a listserver - wide-open and public and yep, a
little disorganized (but that's part of the fun, no?).

It can not be stated strongly enough that it takes personal
responsibility to make things work correctly, not a certain computing
configuration. Even if people screw up I'm willing to get a few
"personal" messages in the mix each and every day if it means that I
will also get answers to bird questions that are posted. If someone
asks about seed, or species distribution, or directions to a new birdy
place I'd like the response to be public because many times when I read
the inquiries I think "Wow, I've always wanted to know that too".

WE ALL LOSE OUT when an interesting bird conversation is started on
Tweeters and concluded privately. WE ARE ALL A TINY BIT INCONVENIENCED
when a "private" message is posted.

If someone makes an inquiry that should have a private reply (like
"Anyone want to ride share to Humptulips to see the Moa on Saturday?"
the proper listserver etiquette is to have a line at the bottom of the
posting that says "Please reply to: your.email.address by time and
date". If someone should blow it and reply back to Tweeters, big deal,
it takes me 5 seconds to realize that and delete the response from my
queue or page past it if I'm getting the journaled version.
Suggestion - If your ISP or e-mail host charges you per e-mail message
then get a new e-mail host - HOTMAIL (www.hotmail.com) and ROCKETMAIL
(www.rocketmail.com) both are free Internet/WWW based e-mail services
that are really very complete and nifty to use.

Please change it back Dan - it's not life and death, but this new
default does have the potential to put a damper on communications.

Rob Conway
Bellevue, WA

robin_conway at hotmail.com



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