Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!mvac23!thomas
From: thomas@mvac23.UUCP (Thomas Lapp)
Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions
Subject: Re: Signature files (LONG)
Message-ID: <73.UUL1.3#5131@mvac23.UUCP>
Date: 19 Aug 89 00:26:09 GMT
References: <2182@uw-entropy.ms.washington.edu>
Reply-To: mvac23!thomas@udel.edu
Organization: MultiVac23, Newark, DE, U.S.A.
Lines: 35

> Just out of curiosity, is there any reason why I should have a .sig at all?
> It would just be a repeat of the Reply-To line I suppose.

Woah here.  I disagree!!!

1. On my software, if I want to reply to something it SOMETIMES picks up
   your reply-to (if it came across), and other times it picks up something
   different from what I want.  NEVER trust your e-mail package to ALWAYS
   get it right.  After all, your message might have gotten munged between
   you and me.

2. If I need to type in your e-mail address to reply to you (which is
   frequent in my system), most of the time all the addressing info has
   scrolled off the screen before I get to the TO: line on my answer.
   Putting your e-mail address on a .sig at the bottom of the file allows
   me to type it in right then and there.

3. Related to (1.) is the fact that A. A reply-to line is not always in-
   cluded (my system doesn't add it unless I specifically ask for it),
   and B. if it isn't, the FROM: tag may either not be a correct path
   back to you, or it is not the most efficient/effective path back to
   you.  My case in point again:  the From line is thomas@mvac23.uucp
   but the most efficient route back is via mvac23!thomas@udel.edu
   (not at all obvious).

Summary:  ADD a .sig with your e-mail addresses for as many networks as
          you know (within reason, of course ;-).
                         - tom
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Internet: mvac23!thomas@udel.edu                     | Notice:  System
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          mvac23%thomas@udel.edu                     | at 4:45pm today for
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Location: Newark, DE, USA                            |
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