If I post a message by calling up the blind-hams email address for posting 
directly to the list, I have equal signs just like many of you do.  I have 
learned, on the other hand, if I reply, using someone's posting, deleting 
their text, changing the subject line, and if necessary, removing their 
email address in the "to line" with blind-hams, I can write my message, as I 
am right now, and the listserver recognizes my email as a copy to reply, 
that is, it thinks I am replying to someone on the list but I'm not because 
this message is Tom's last post.  After doing what I just described, there 
generally are no equal signs.  Why?  Because, as I said before, it isn't the 
posting of the individual, it is a line in the header that controls the 
blind-hams mailing list.  That command line removes all junk characters but 
replying as I do, using someone else's post, makes the listserver think it 
is a simple reply in plain text.  Try it; you'll like it.

Phil.
K0NX