“No Reply” is lame August 15
I often get automatic email messages with the reply-to address set to some kind of “noreply”. This is lame. For instance, Facebook sends notifications using such a noreply reply-to address. To me, this seems like lazy programming. If someone sends me a message on facebook, if I reply to the notification I am clearly intending to reply to the message. Facebook should parse that response and send it on to the original sender.
The same is true of twitter direct messages.
Systems developers should make their notification channels (IM, Email, SMS) two-way and not just one-way conduits. Not doing so represents a failure of design.
Scott Ellison Feb 7
I second that. How hard can it be to include some kind of ID in subject field or use mailed-by field and parse and redirect the message to original sender.
Jesse James Mar 19
This is SO true. What a waste to send something that cannot be replied to.
Courtney Heard Aug 18
I totally agree, that’s a great idea. Eliminating steps keeps users engaged.
Neuseeland Aug 21
What makes me crazy in these situations if they at least don’t mention an email address I can reply to and I have to figure that out by myself.
Moving Trucks- T. Scott Clendaniel Aug 27
It may in fact be lazy programming, but I think it’s more often the case of lazy requirements authors who aren’t willing to handle interactions with their audiences and insisting that programmers prevent those “annoying” responses from bothering them.
Art Smith Sep 2
I think it is a two stage process, these sites set up with an automatic email message then latter on decide that in certain circumstances they don’t want the email to be replied to, or find they are getting spammed with content, or they have a number of one way email account i.e. no one at the other end to read mail coming in so no-reply saves them on employing people to check emails.
Dave Duncan Sep 8
I know it irritates me also, what next telephone calls where we are told “do not speak back to me” ?
What further exasperates me with these “No reply” mails is the difficulty in finding an email address that you can reply to, surely the very least we can expect is “Do Not Reply, but do email samplename@samplecompany.com for any queries
Hostelio Sep 21
I don’t think it is just because of lazy programming. Delivering message to original sender could be done with just a few lines of programming. However it would not be wise for Facebook or any other community website to utilize such a solution.
It is like supermarkets sale tactics. The clever markets know that while you walk down from one essential item to the other, your roving eye will spot items that will dictate your heart into buying them even though these items are not a necessity.
A supermarket can’t survive by just delivering cheese and bread to houses.
Adam Oct 6
When people auto-dm me on twitter after I follow them, I unfollow them as soon as possible.
The NOREPLY is crazy too, but not as crazy as the auto-dm on twitter.
Adam
free vector Oct 7
i agree with you. but maybe we all have different reason to do or not the no-reply email address.
Mitesser Oct 27
Of course there are numerous ways to make interaction with the one who sent the email possible easily.. but like T. Scott Clandaniel said, nobody wants to read these “annoying responses”.
Kerja Keras Adalah Energi Kita Oct 27
nice idea, it’s more often the case of lazy requirements authors who aren’t willing to handle interactions with their audiences
Owner Builder Nov 7
I have a little different experience with this. I have previously never used the “no_reply” as part of the from address, until on several occasions, I have had angry customers asking us why we did not reply to emails that they sent us. You have to remember that a very small percentage of people think like us programmers, and most have no clue!