[Wylug-discuss] List Etiquette: Top Posting vs. Bottom Posting

[David Holden]

On Sunday 28 October 2007, Mark P. Conmy wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Oct 2007, David Holden wrote:
> > On Sunday 28 October 2007, Dave Fisher wrote:
> >> Moreover, I'd even endorse the idea that top-posting has several
> >> important communicative advantages in everyday email, e.g. seeing the
> >> most pertinent message first, before wading into the record of prior
> >> discussion.
> >
> > Most normal people (non tech folk) I've talked to are baffled when I
> > bottom post - "Why do I have to scroll down all the time for you
> > replies.."
>
> Then you've not snipped sufficiently.
>
> >> ... and I'd even go so far as to claim that mixing posting modes makes
> >> it objectively difficult to follow more than 2 or 3 steps in a threaded
> >> discussion.
> >
> > I've lefts lists over top/bottom post fascists, its not worth the hassle.
>
> Sure - but surely it's worth a debate.  It's not about being a fascist
> so much as trying to find a way forward _together_.
>
> Mark

 Hello Mark,

 Don't get me wrong, I'm not against this debate, this was just my 
contribution to it.

With regard to snipping, for me email is a method for *busy* people to rapidly 
communicate. If someone posts with a problem and I have an answer I will fire 
off the reply often in seconds. If the lists turns into one where I'm 
continually having to watch my P's and Q's for fear of top/bottom posting 
reprimand I won't reply.

These day more and more people are coming to linux from a non technical 
background, e.g. Windows users, the last thing I would want is for them to go 
away telling others how they tried linux but those linux guy's are more 
interested in "how" you format you emails..


Seriously there are more important things..

 All the best,

          Dave.


-- 
Dr. David Holden.

See: <http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html>
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