[Air-L] Change of default reply setting on air-l

[Alex Halavais]

May I ask a naive question? Several have suggested that changing the
list to default to reply-to-author will have significant detrimental
effects on the community, ranging from harm to ruin. Some have
indicated that this is a well-researched fact.

My gut and experience tells me that changing the default will result
in changes in posting, reducing the number of replies to the list, but
it seems that others are aware of actual research to this end.
Perhaps, if someone  has access to research that indicates that
changes in default list response change the pattern of posting--and
perhaps even the degree to which such a change has an effect on list
dynamics--they could post a citation?

I don't want to discount experience as a guide, because I think it is
important, but if those posting are sharing their "gut feeling," I
also think it's important to distinguish it as such. Have any of those
who have posted so far been involved in a particular list that has
made this change, and can we go back and look at the archives of that
list?

Thanks!

Alex

--
//
// This email is
// [x] assumed public and may be blogged / forwarded.
// [ ] assumed to be private, please ask before redistributing.
//
// Alexander C. Halavais, ciberflâneur
// http://alex.halavais.net
//