st: Responding to messages using the Statalist digest - a new FAQ?

["Seed, Paul" <paul.seed@kcl.ac.uk>]

Dear Statalist,

I am never quite sure what the best method is to contribute to a 
Statalist discussion I find in the Statalist digest.
There does not seem to be anything in the Statalist FAQ on this, 
but I can't be the only person with this problem.

It's all right with a new thread (like this).  However, 
when replying there are two dangers - 
including more of the digest in the response than intended
(sometimes far more) - and not using an appropriate header,
so that the message doesn't get threaded properly.
Nick Cox mentioned a broken thread recently which might 
have been my fault.  General apologies if so.

I think the answer (and the paragraph I would like to see in 
the Statalist FAQ) is: 

"Identify the start and end of the message you want to respond.
Copy and paste it (removing unnecessary tail) from the digest 
into a new message addressed to Statalist 
(statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu).  Add > markers.
Copy the subject, preceded by "Re:", into the Subject line.  
Write your response (and signature) at the head of the message."

Apologies if this is so obvious to everyone else it doesn't even 
need a FAQ.

BW


Paul T Seed, Senior Lecturer in Medical Statistics, 
Division of Women's Health, King's College London
Women's Health Academic Centre, KHP
(+44) (0) 20 7188 3642.





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