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

[Anne Wilson]

On Sunday 28 October 2007 01:31:03 Dave Fisher wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I don't want to give even the feintest hint of personal criticism or
> 'laying down the law' on this matter, but the recent rash of top-posting
> does prompt me to ask members the following questions:
>
>   1. Should we continue to maintain our long-term policy of asking
>      people to bottom post?
>
>   2. If you believe that the policy should be maintained, what do you
>      think we should do about top-posting?
>
> For what it's worth, my personal opinion is that bottom posting still
> offers significant advantages for threaded discussion, especially where
> long threads are involved and where there are any number of interleaved
> responses.
>
My opinion is we should request top-posting (qualified below), but not demand 
it.  Most people will comply if asked reasonably.  For some people, though, 
there may not be a choice, due to company requirements.

One list I used to use sent a monthly message, setting out the etiquette for 
the list, together with a link to a page with full explanations of the 
various points.  Many felt that helped.

> If you are a committed supporter of top-posting, please note the
> qualifications I've just made.
>
> I fully appreciate that MS Outlook has virtually enforced top posting of
> 1-to-1 email across great swathes of t'Internet.
>
> 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.
>
> While I'd personally like to maintain bottom posting, I'd prefer
> consistent top-posting to a free-for-all miscellany of top-, bottom- and
> middle-posting.
>
If the subject entails a long tract, whether original or replies, interspersed 
posting makes the easiest reading.

> In my experience, the need to readjust both reading and writing modes on
> a message by message basis is a right pain in the neck, wrist and brain
>
> ... 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.
>
> Your thoughts, please.
>
I totally agree that a flame war should be avoided at all costs.  No-one is 
required to read a message that offends the sensibilities :-)  

I'd also like to support the request for snipping, especially when threads get 
very long.  To maintain only the parts being replied to is a great help.

My 2p-worth

Anne
-- 
Registered Linux User No.293302 (http://counter.li.org/)
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