[SLUG] Top posting.

[Al Girling]

On Sat, Aug 23, 2003 at 01:45:40AM +0100, Gavin Baker wrote:
> On Fri, 2003-08-22 at 23:07, Al Girling wrote:
> 
> > Sorry to be a boring git but can we please avoid top posting.  It's
> > starting to look like a yahoo groups list. :)
> 
> You mean appending the previous posts is pointless because mail is
> chronologically threaded in nature and the previous post is always just
> as easily accessible as the current one is, thus eliminating the need
> for the previous posts to be included in the current post as an addendum
> unless context is required for a reader unfamiliar with the subject of
> the thread, in which case one would naturally include the contextual
> text so readers pointed to the mail from outside, or reading the mail
> after a pause from the thread would easily understand what the hell the
> mail is about, and also allowing threads to take on an organic nature
> where threads spawn specific subthreads?

Basically yes!

> > Usual stuff.  Trim replies, reply in context or post at the bottom
> > please.
> 
> but my mail client starts my text at the top :(

So does mine, but I can still move down through the mail to the piece
I'm replying to.  Using the 'My client' argument.  I could easily say
that when reading any mail constructed as the one you're currently
reading.  My client allows me to skip all the quoted text with the 'S'
key!  This is of course unhelpful to all those not using 'mutt'.  The
reason I in particular find top posting irritating, indeed why I left
a yahoo group list is because it encourages the lazy habit of clicking
on reply and writing your bit without regard to the amount of text
already within the mail.  As an example, indeed the final straw for me
on the yahoo open canoe list was when I received a mail nearly 1MB in
size to which the last contributor had added "Me too!" at the top.

> A: No.
> 
> Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?

Classic example of why top posting is pants!  You read a message, then
have to scroll down to find out it's all about.

You know, on another list someone had the nerve to request we all
reply with top posts because since he'd bought a laptop he no longer
had a wheel mouse and found it difficult to use the scroll arrow with
the pointer!

> sorry, Gav =)

Nah!  That's alright.  I'm only trying to follow the netiquet used on
*every* other *nix related list I subscribe to, and yes I do realise
you're trying to wind me up.  :)

Al
-- 
Al Girling			Registered Linux User: 290080
mailto:al21 at firenet.uk.com	Debian GNU/Linux