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Joe Pluta wrote:
And it shouldn't. The mailing software should be smart enough to use a change in subject to break the thread, or at least have that as an option. Obviously, it has to handle RE: but that's not rocket science. If you look over the entire list, it's clear that the intent of changing the subject is to break the thread.
Well, that's just not the way it works.
But it should.

Slight difference in semantics here ... you said 'mailing software', which I took to mean the mailing list processing and archiving software.

In the case of the list software, it's performing exactly the way it is designed and _should_ work. The list software (as with all software) can only operate on it's inputs and, if the input is telling it to do something specific, it has no other way to know the user wanted something else.

However, if you apply your statement to mail client software, then I generally agree.

Since mail client software is responsible for generating the message headers it would not be unreasonable to expect that, if the user replies to a message *AND* changes the subject, it *COULD* be smart enough to _ask_ if you want to start a new discussion thread. I emphasize that it should ask if you want to start a new thread, because often people don't want to start a new thread, just modify the subject.

Unfortunately, many popular mail clients are *NOT* very smart and only marginally comply with RFC.

david



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