How so? I email two to four people very frequently. That is much easier than creating a mailing list for every possible combination of PM, Tester, and Doc Writer who works on any feature with me.
Because that only makes sense if you want them replying to everybody else, which is almost never the case, or you'd just make a real mailing list. I'm not saying "don't send e-mails to multiple people" I'm just saying "use CC appropriately."
I, for one, would be safe using e-mail this way: none of my relatives even know where the "Reply" button is (though they long ago located Forward, sadly.) They just create a new message addressed to the original sender when they have something to say.
Average users? One informal writing group I'm a part of sends emails like that, because it makes intuitive sense. You just type in the names and then you send. Making a group takes too long (even though it would save time in the long run, most people see it as unnecessary, and nothing exists to automatically make groups of people as you send), and CC isn't intuitive, especially not to people who are young enough not to be entirely certain what a "carbon copy" is. It's hard to understand what the difference between "multiple recipients" and "multiple carbon copied emails" is if you honestly don't care that much, and most people honestly don't care.
What is the difference between the two? I never understood it. I know what BCC is for.
No, that's just asking for multiple people to reply. If that's your idea of a "nightmare", I have some recommendations for you: read Elie Wiesel's "Night", look at Guernica, visit an FGM activism web site, maybe volunteer at a suicide or rape crisis hotline.
What, you've never had to exchange some emails between a small group of people?
As I said above, I merely use CC. This gives the recipients the option of replying to everyone or just to me. Sometimes you'll want everyone to reply to everyone else, but since reply-all is just as easy as reply, I prefer the one that doesn't assume the former.
I don't understand. If I hit reply, then I reply to the person who sent. If I hit reply-all, then I reply to everyone who got the email (barring bcc, of course).
This is unaffected by To or Cc was used.
Did I miss something?
That sounds right for Gmail. Maybe his experience is with another email client.
Either that has not been my experience, or I've lost my mind. Both are possible.