Hi! You'll notice that when a Conch-L message comes in, the "from" box of your e-mail doesn't say Conch-L - it contains only the e-mail address of the person who sent it to conch-L. Private messages get on this list (and it happens often) when people use their "reply" button, thinking they are replying only to the original sender. However, if that person's message went through Conch-L and you use the reply button, then the reply will also go to Conch-L. Regards, Paul M.