[Mailman-Users] munging the To: line?

Rainer Müller raimue at codingfarm.de
Thu Dec 1 14:34:23 EST 2016


On 2016-12-01 19:44, Mark Sapiro wrote:
> On 11/30/2016 06:16 PM, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
>>
>> I've got From: munging turned on, so posts to a list I administer come
>> "from" addresses like
>> John Smith via mylist <mylist at example.com>
>>
>> Frequently, list users will post to the list by replying to a previous
>> message, and I'll end up getting a message with a To: header like
>>
>> To: John Smith via mylist <mylist at example.com>
> 
> 
> Assuming you are not munging Reply-To:, i.e., reply_goes_to_list is
> Poster, the original message from the list should have headers
> 
> To: mylist at example.com
> From: John Smith via mylist <mylist at example.com>
> Reply-To: John Smith <john's real address>
> 
> According to standards, Reply-To: trumps From: for replies and a simple
> 'reply' should be addressed to 'John Smith <john's real address>' and
> 'reply-all' to 'John Smith <john's real address>' and
> 'mylist at example.com' from the original To:.
> 
> So part of the issue here is some of your users have misbehaving MUAs,
> but there's little if anything you can do about that.

I have seen posts with the To: pointing to "John Smitch via mylist" as
well. This did not happen on a reply, but on new messages.

The issue exists with MUAs that automatically collect real names and
email addresses from received mails, for example by automatically adding
them to the user's addressbook. When the user then starts to write a new
email to the list, upon entering the list address in the To: field, the
MUA autocompletes and also adds the previously saved real name. If the
user does not pay attention to this detail, they will send the mail with
such a To: address.

Rainer


More information about the Mailman-Users mailing list