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Thomas R. Shemanske - feedback addresses in WW1.7

Thomas R. Shemanske - feedback addresses in WW1.7

by Arnold Pizer -
Number of replies: 0
inactiveTopicfeedback addresses in WW1.7 topic started 2/5/2002; 10:14:32 AM
last post 2/6/2002; 9:19:15 AM
userThomas R. Shemanske - feedback addresses in WW1.7  blueArrow
2/5/2002; 10:14:32 AM (reads: 1282, responses: 3)
In WW 1.7, there are two new variables in system/lib/Global.pm, defaultFrom and defaultReply which are set to be "webmaster". Instructions are to modify these in the individual course file webworkCourse.ph, however there is no reminder or template there (as there is for feedbackAddress).

As a result of the GLobal settings, by default the webmaster receives a copy of every message replied to by an instructor in addition to its intended recipient. Is there any reason these variables cannot be set to empty strings in the Global file? They do not seem to serve a purpose

Thanks

Tom

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userArnold K. Pizer - Re: feedback addresses in WW1.7  blueArrow
2/5/2002; 3:00:58 PM (reads: 1483, responses: 0)
Hi Tom,

There should be a reminder or template in the webworkCourse.ph file. The webworkCourse.ph file constructed by the course_webwork_setup.pl script contains near the top the following (the initial lines are all comments even though they may not be desplayed as such on all browsers)

# Finally, when sending bulk email to students from the sendmail page, the following
# default values are used for the From and Reply-To fields. Normally these fields
# are filled in and these default values are not used. More importanly, the
# defaultReply value is also used in the Reply-To field on feedback email which students
# can send to the feedbackAddress by hitting the feedback button. The format is the same
# as for the feedbackAddress above.

$Global::defaultFrom = $Global::feedbackAddress;
$Global::defaultReply = $Global::feedbackAddress;

so the defaults are set to the feedbackAddress if this code is used without change.

The defaultReply can be used as follows. You might have a TA answer all feedback email but you want a professor to monitor the replies or your feedback may go to several people and you want all of them to receive replies.

Setting the system default to the webmaster at least informs the webmaster that someone should edit the offending course's webworkCourse.ph file. Note that the course_webwork_setup.pl script as of version 1.7 resides in the scripts directory of the system, not in individual course directories. If this is not used to construct new webworkCourse.ph files, you will get the action you describe.

Arnie

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userThomas R. Shemanske - Re: feedback addresses in WW1.7  blueArrow
2/6/2002; 8:04:23 AM (reads: 1463, responses: 0)
I see the issue now. In the course_webwork_setup.pl distributed in the new sample course (WW1.7), these lines appear, but for us "long-time" users of WW (where we just tar up an old course and untar it with a new name for the next offering), our version of course_webwork_setup.pl is still the old one without these lines.

Perhaps the Global.pm file should be set up with the feedback address as the default for backwards compatibility. Or perhaps the course_webwork_setup.pl script should be a link to a file in the system folder which does get updated at upgrade time.

Thanks,

Tom

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userThomas R. Shemanske - Re: feedback addresses in WW1.7  blueArrow
2/6/2002; 9:19:15 AM (reads: 1493, responses: 0)
Rats!

I was shooting from the hip. I see that you have indeed moved course-webwork_Setup.pl to be a script in the system file. I just assumed Arnie's comments about the script were new versions in the blank_course, but that too has changed significantly in structure in WW 1.7.

All seems well.

Sorry for the fuss

Tom

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