Make MESSAGES_TO_AUTHOR in config.py 
be tri-valued 
like the *TO_NOSY variables in config.py.

If the value of 
MESSAGES_TO_AUTHOR is set to 'new'
act as though the 
setting was no except when a new issue is created. When a new 
issue is created, respond with a welcome/acknowledgement 
message to the author of the issue. This will:

  provide 
feedback to the author that the issue has
    been 
received.

  provide a mechanism for the author to add 
additional
    information to the issue before anybody else
    
responds to it.

This allows the initial message to be acked 
to the author while preventing subsequent emails from being sent 
back to their authors.