Why AutoReply Is Sent to ECnet Users Only
Recently, a few people have asked why the Microsoft Outook or Outlook Web Access (http://ecmail.emerson.edu) Out of Office Assistant (OOA) AutoReply message is sent to ECNet users only. This message is sent once to each sender with an Emerson (ECnet) account. A non-Emerson email address does not receive the AutoReply. Your email address is hence less vulnerable to security risks, including spam. The OOA is also easy to activate and deactivate.
Although you may use the Rules wizard in Microsoft Outlook to set up an AutoReply, doing so has many negative consequences. The rules are more complex as you would want to exclude sending an AutoReply to any distribution lists and listservs to which you subscribe (as an alternative, you should unsubscribe temporarily from these lists.) Using the Rules wizard to set up an AutoReply means the message is sent to everyone, including a spammer, and confirms to a spammer that you have a valid email address. Read more.