[TCML] Moderator's note - Responding off-list

[Gary Lau <glau1024@xxxxxxxxx>]

I need to remind folks of the basic mechanics of how this List works.
There are approximately 700 List subscribers. For most topics of
discussion where you want your message to go to ALL 700 list members,
it is appropriate, when replying, to just hit the Reply button,
sending mail to the "list submission address", tesla@xxxxxxxxxxx
However, when somebody is selling or giving something away and you're
interested in it, a message indicating your interest in that thing is
only of interest to the one person selling or giving that thing away.
If you sent a message to all 700 subscribers saying that you're
interested in the widget, 699 of them are going to think "Why is that
guy broadcasting this to EVERYONE?"

You can hit Reply, but you must then REPLACE the list submission
address in the To: field with the seller's personal email address,
found elsewhere in the header of the seller's post.  It's up to you to
find it and figure this out.  The posting guidelines that are sent to
all members on the first of each month are quite clear on this:

"If someone has posted about an item they wish to sell or give away
and you're interested in it, you must reply ONLY to the seller,
OFF-LIST. The 700 others on the list don't care and don't want to know
if you're interested in it. Your post will be rejected if you just hit
reply (to tesla@xxxxxxxxxx). If you don't understand what "off-list"
means, please ask."
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