# Don't respond to the entire list serve when replying to an email **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 14, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256 "2010-08-14T16:33:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/1 "2010-08-14T16:33:12Z")
is it really that hard? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/2 "2010-08-14T16:59:23Z")
It’s useful if you get brought in on a ‘thread’, to be able to use the ‘list serve’ (?) to catch up on what’s been said. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/3 "2010-08-14T18:44:46Z")
Unless ‘list serve’ means the full list of people in the to or cc field? In which case, how are the other people who got the email supposed to know it has been replied to? You could end up in a situation where several people reply to the email with the same answer, or worse, several people carry out the instructions in the email. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/4 "2010-08-14T18:59:45Z")
it is not useful when I get 50 emails in my inbox from people who want to be removed from the list serve (which I am not in control of, I am just on it) ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/5 "2010-08-14T19:04:59Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > it is not useful when I get 50 emails in my inbox from people who want to be removed from the list serve (which I am not in control of, I am just on it) Does that mean you’re not going to remove me then? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/6 "2010-08-14T19:44:08Z")
Must… resist… urge to multiquote everyone before me. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/7 "2010-08-14T19:59:14Z")
What’s a list serve? (:p) ---
**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/8 "2010-08-14T20:26:11Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Must… resist… urge to multiquote everyone before me. I wish you hadn’t resisted it. That would’ve been funny. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/9 "2010-08-14T21:27:58Z")
> [@supergoose](#): > > > [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > > > Must… resist… urge to multiquote everyone before me. > > I wish you hadn’t resisted it. That would’ve been funny. I felt it would tempt the mod hammer. Wasting electrons or some such crime. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/10 "2010-08-14T22:15:24Z")
Dude, the 80s called, and they’re out of you! Are you going to be ranting about AOLers ruining the Internet next? Here’s a helpful hint for the newbies: [listserv](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LISTSERV) ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/11 "2010-08-14T22:35:23Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > Dude, the 80s called, and they’re out of you! Are you going to be ranting about AOLers ruining the Internet next? > > Here’s a helpful hint for the newbies: [listserv](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LISTSERV) Dude! He’s [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12780358&postcount=77), he wasn’t even alive in the 80s!\* Maybe his “friend” was, though? \*The previous post is light-hearted in tone. I actually agree with **Kyrie** and, for the most part, think **PSXer** is a dildo. PS: Thanks, **PSXer**! For finally starting a pit thread so I can call you a dildo! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/12 "2010-08-14T22:57:11Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Dude! He’s [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12780358&postcount=77), he wasn’t even alive in the 80s!\* > Maybe his “friend” was, though? I’m pretty sure PSXer has been trolling us. He’s constantly making posts about his love for laserdiscs (at some point I think he got really progressive and rented a VHS tape), standard aspect-ratio televisions, and wondering what is up with kids these days and their Pogs, among his other anachronisms. I give him props for at least being a clever troll though. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/13 "2010-08-14T23:04:22Z")
Second place has to go to those idiots who post a one-line response (such as “cool!” or a string of dancing smileys) to a picture-heavy post (perhaps which showed screenies of a new mod or something) which reproduces every single picture in the original, thus sucking precious bandwidth away from those poor souls still on dialup who have to DL the same pictures over and over and grow old and grey waiting for it to all finish. I can’t imagine someone who uses a PC who isn’t at least remotely familiar with the arcane art of highlighting and deleting, but I guess they’re out there… ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/14 "2010-08-15T00:42:58Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > \*The previous post is light-hearted in tone. I actually agree with **Kyrie** and, for the most part, think **PSXer** is a dildo. > > PS: Thanks, **PSXer**! For finally starting a pit thread so I can call you a dildo! 🙂 Nah. Most dildos have at least seen a vagina. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/15 "2010-08-15T03:52:02Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > is it really that hard? From my experience working at several high tech companies - yes. I’d hate to see what it would be like at a low tech one. Eventually, our CEO (and this was a Fortune 500 company) said in a message that if you are too clueless to avoid responding to all, then you probably don’t belong here. I suspect that many people don’t get the basics of how emails work, or list-servs. However there are those who reply to all saying not to reply to all. Nice job, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/16 "2010-08-15T04:19:57Z")
Apparently. I’ve been doing contract work for a company, and the guy I report to periodically sends e-mails to his contractors, asking us to tell him when we’re available within a certain time-frame. He’ll specifically tell us to reply just to him, individually, yet there’s still that one guy that replies to everyone. I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/17 "2010-08-15T04:49:01Z")
It gets better. There are different tiers of replytoallitis, and it happens often enough where I work that we’ve started setting up a pool every time we see a message accidentally directed to a whole list. For the pool, you have to pick how many of the following categories will reply to everyone: [ul] [li]Intended recipient acknowledging/answering email. (Doesn’t count if it was only meant for one person.)[/li][li]Person helpfully replying that they don’t think they were supposed to get the email.[/li][li]Annoyed person requesting that they be removed from the list.[/li][li]Still more annoyed person requesting that everyone stop replying to the whole list.[/ul][/li]When the mailstorm finally dies down, you tally up how far off you were (plus or minus) on each tier and sum the tallies. Whoever has the lowest result wins. There are side bets on how many of the respondents will be project managers, line managers, and execs (the total is usually very near 100%). ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/18 "2010-08-15T05:21:25Z")
Depends on what kind of email and what kind of list. Sometimes it is inappropriate to reply to all, but sometimes it is inappropriate not to. In the software development world, email lists often serve the role of a discussion forum. It is considered bad manner to not reply to the list. As an analogy, the SDMB would be a very boring place indeed if everyone only replies to the OP, wouldn’t it. All you see would be questions but no answers. Also as mentioned upthread, if this is a email that requires an action item that may be taken care of by any of the recipients, wouldn’t a quick reply to all that says “I’ll take care of it” an easy way of keeping things coordinated? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/19 "2010-08-15T05:41:58Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > When the mailstorm finally dies down… At first glance I thought you wrote “mailstrom” as a pun on maelstrom. Man, you were _this_ close to having achieved greatness. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256/20 "2010-08-15T06:09:19Z")
I’m pretty sure the OP is chumming the offenderatti. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-respond-to-the-entire-list-serve-when-replying-to-an-email/550256.md?page=2)