Hi Pat The only case that I might have had any doubts about is a), but you cover those by your 'short list message' approach. If everyone did as you do then we wouldn't be having this dialogue . Apart from Gerry's original point, another equally valid one is that if I, for example, give someone duff advice or factual information *off list* then I will be giving up the 'safety net' of another lister either correcting me, or amplifying what I said. In both cases the person who asked the question loses out, possibly 'fatally'. I did wonder if people who respond off-list as a matter of course [ if they exist] are concerned that they may make themselves look silly onlist if they get it wrong, that can happen to the best of us and I would be disappointed if that was a real factor at play. I seem to regularly see thank you type messages where it is quite obvious that not all the indicated replies from listers passed through the list, happens on the Glamlist as well.................. Thanks for the input. Gareth List Administrator for Dyfed, CGN & PEM. tirbach@clara.co.uk Lookup Exchange http://home.clara.net/tirbach/lookup.html Help Page http://home.clara.net/tirbach/hicks.html ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pat Powell" <pat@pcubed.demon.co.uk> To: "Gareth" <tirbach@clara.co.uk> Cc: <DYFED-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 7:13 PM Subject: Re: [Dyfed] Re: [WLS-PEMBROKESHIRE] Replying to queries > Hi Gareth > > I sometimes make "direct" replies if > > a) the reply is full of lots of detail > > or > > b) if my reply is not necessarily directly related to the original query > but has prompted me to ask something > > or > > c) > if someone is getting a bit "depressed" at no success and I send a > "hopefully" encouraging reply with some suggestions of actions to take > to try to make progress. > > Very often - and particularly in case a) I send a short reply to the > list saying that I am replying fully "off-list" which allows anyone else > with an interest to send to me for a copy. > > I hope this seems a reasonable set of actions. > > Finally I must say that most of the replies I send are on-list as > usually that id where reply directs the response but in the case of > your e-mail when "reply" brings up a choice of direct or both I choose > both. > > Cheers > > Pat > > > > In message <00c901c0e471$66c07460$0730b10a@gareth>, Gareth > <tirbach@clara.co.uk> writes > >I strongly endorse Gerry's request. > >I am on record as making periodic identical pleas on all the S/W Wales lists > >I subscribe to, the making of off-list responses seems to be a growing > >trend. > >I'm not even sure I really understand why, perhaps someone could enlighten > >me ? > >On-list ? :-) > >Please, we're not talking rigid rules or replies with 10 pages of 1881 > >census extracts here, just the ordinary run of the mill list traffic. > >And not the dreaded Reply /Reply All button debate either :-) > > > >Gareth > >List Administrator for Dyfed, CGN & PEM. tirbach@clara.co.uk > >Lookup Exchange http://home.clara.net/tirbach/lookup.html > >Help Page http://home.clara.net/tirbach/hicks.html > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Gerry" <gerry@asterisk.co.uk> > >To: <WLS-PEMBROKESHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> > >Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 12:37 PM > >Subject: [WLS-PEMBROKESHIRE] Replying to queries > > > > > >> Hi listers > >> > >> I know that reading through e-mails that don't concern one can be a trifle > >> boring but can I ask that replies to queries are sent via the list and not > >> direct to the enquirer. The reason being that those of us who try to > >answer > >> queries then do not waste our time duplicating the effort put in by > >others. > >> > >> Gerry Lewis > >> > >> > >> ==== WLS-PEMBROKESHIRE Mailing List ==== > >> Gareth's Help Page > >> http://home.clara.net/tirbach/hicks.html > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > >==== DYFED Mailing List ==== > >Genuki CGN http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CGN/ > > > > -- > Pat Powell > >