Auto-Reply Problems

If you use auto-reply messages, please read this....

With thousands of subscribers receiving the Bowl of Saki every day, the number of auto-reply messages that arrive here on any given day (especially during common holiday periods) can be a bit overwhelming.

Clearly there is no need or intent for me to actually open or reply to the auto-reply messages, but if those messages are not clearly marked as an auto-reply, then it's necessary to open each of the auto-reply emails to see what the email is about... which is a considerable waste of precious time.

Here are three simple options, any of which will easily solve the problem:

1) Adopt some standardized manner of clearly marking each auto-reply, so that it can be easily recognized as an auto-reply, or

2) Subscribe to the Bowl of Saki using a special email account which never sends any auto-reply messages, or

3) Temporarily put the Bowl of Saki on "hold" by using the "Changes" link provided at the top of each day's Bowl of Saki.

The first option listed above (standardized text) is probably the easiest for most people. So, one simple way to make each auto-reply much easier to recognize (and filter out) is to include anywhere in your email "Subject" line some words such as "auto-reply" or "auto-response" or "auto-responder". Then, anyone (such as me) who does not wish to read the auto-reply can easily have their email program automatically delete the email.

The preferred words to identify an auto-reply  in the email "Subject" line, using the exact capitalization and punctuation as follow:

Auto-Reply
auto-reply
auto reply
autoreply

automated response
automated-response
Automatic Response
auto-response

auto-responder
auto responder
autoresponder

By placing any one of those phrases in your email "Subject" line (or providing me with a similar phrase that you would like to consistently use) the daily email reply chores will be greatly simplified.

Thanks.....

with love,
     wahiduddin