[imp] Semicolons in To: list

[Ian McNish]

On Tue, 10 Oct 2000, The Raven wrote:

> On Tue, 10 Oct 2000, Chuck Hagenbuch wrote:
> 
> > Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 17:36:01 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: Chuck Hagenbuch <chuck@horde.org>
> > To: imp@lists.horde.org
> > Subject: Re: [imp] Semicolons in To: list
> > 
> > Quoting Jon Parise <jon@csh.rit.edu>:
> > 
> > > It's technically possible (converting the semicolons to commas), but I
> > > don't see a reason to institute a kludge when the users are clearly at
> > > fault here.
> > 
> > I'd have to agree - semicolons are clearly, by spec, not valid seperators.
> > Furthermore, it's not really that easy, since you could validly put semicolons
> > inside quotes in a personal name. So doing this only reinforces bad learning in
> > your users, and has potential to break things rather badly for people following
> > the spec.
> > 
> > -chuck
> 
> Both valid points, but nevertheless, the complaints will continue, and
> when the CEO sends mail to several VP's and only one gets it, I get it.
> Perhaps a JS popup on the To: and Cc: fields warning them not to or even
> an option that can be selectively turned on in a config file?


i once worked for a CEO like that, and a number of VPs like
that, but when i ask questions like do you ever have problems getting
to work when you try to put your house key in the ignition of your
car? or would the company continue to run the same way if our finance
dept replaced '.' with ',' in our corporate AP checks? obviously this
one will only work if '.' separates dollars from cents in your host
country. these questions were never popular, but every exec i've asked
has stopped making that mistake (i've found that the latter question
is more effective against execs).

anyway, the point is that just like __EVERYTHING ELSE__ in life, you
have to do it correctly to get the results you want; it's all in the
training.