reply to sender instructions

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In our instructions to activists on replying to an alert, we tell them to hit "reply to sender." However, if I was responding to an alert from my EDF computer, I have two options: "reply," which does not automatically include any of the text from the previous email that was originally sent to me. Or "reply with history," which includes the text originally sent to me. If I was responding to an alert, I would have to hit "reply with history," correct? Am I wrong? Would other people have to make a distinction as well? Do we need to be clearer about this?

-- Anonymous, April 05, 1999

Answers

The new instructions are canned and the same for all alerts and coalitions, we are emphasizing the use of the website as a response mechanism, but they can also respond via email. Here I am copying and pasting these instructions for you to see:

If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this alert by going to the following URL:

http://an.arsdigita.com/take-action.tcl?key=WHATEVER

Here's what this alert is about:

TITLE OF THE ALERT ----------------------

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ----------------------

If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this alert by going to the following URL:

http://an.arsdigita.com/take-action.tcl?key=whatever

If you do not have access to a web browser, you can take still take action by replying to this email.

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:

Responding via email to this alert is easy. Choose the reply to sender option on your email program and edit the sample message we provide below.

We STRONGLY encourage you to make edits directly to our sample letter, putting the alert talking points into your own words. An individualized letter is worth ten computer generated letters. Of course, hundreds of unedited faxes will still create a HUGE impact. So please reply even if you don't have time to personalize the letter.

Some additional instructions:

If your email program automatically adds your signature to your emails, please turn this feature off before replying. The Action Network program will sign your name to your message, on a piece of fax stationary that also provides your address.

If your email program does not have a reply to sender option, you can cut and paste the letter below into a new email message and edit it there. Be sure you capture all the text below, then edit it to express your opinion and mail it to alert-response@an.arsdigita.com.

==========DO NOT MODIFY THIS HEADER========== ALERT_KEY: whatever =======YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW=========

BODY OF THE LETTER

-- Anonymous, April 05, 1999


Ok, but you didn't answer my question. For those who choose to respond via email, EDF's email system gives you 2 ways of responding to emails - one with previous text included, one without previous text included. Is that common to most email systems? If so, do we need to make sure they know to hit "reply with history," so the previous text is included?

Also, and we've discussed this several times, while I don't think its a bad idea to give people the option to respond either by the web or by email, I think its silly to think many people will respond via the web. Most people won't want to take the time to do so. I wouldn't!!! It might not seem like a lot of time, but in web-land, speed is the key. An additional 1 minute seems like an eternity to many people these days. I don't think we should be emphasizing the web response option to the detriment of the email response option.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 1999


Instructions, web vs email option

I have no idea if that is common to most email systems. I would think it isn't common to most email systems since nobody else but us knows how to do this web thing. I still think that the present reply instructions are pretty clear as is. Reply to sender, reply with history c'mon... Yes in the future we can ask authority over editing the instructions, but right now we cannot do so.

It might be silly to think people would respond via website, but the truth is that for all of the alert that we've sent in the past two weeks via the "new system" 65 of responses have been via website...

Yes we could upgrade the email instructions so they are side by side with the website option. I'll bring that up.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 1999


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