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Date:      Mon, 22 Mar 2004 11:16:07 +1030
From:      Greg 'groggy' Lehey <grog@lemis.com>
To:        Lucas Holt <luke@foolishgames.com>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Top posting
Message-ID:  <20040322004607.GZ52612@wantadilla.lemis.com>
In-Reply-To: <DD43180C-7B98-11D8-BD54-000A95EFF4CA@foolishgames.com>
References:  <20040319172130.GB2044@cs025_2k> <20040319174618.GH64130@keyslapper.org> <20040319223506.GA63254@bhunter.net> <20040320195318.GA923@alex.lan> <20040321014349.GJ52612@wantadilla.lemis.com> <DD43180C-7B98-11D8-BD54-000A95EFF4CA@foolishgames.com>

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The following message is the second in a series of three, intended to
show why bottom-posting (where a reply is completely separate from the
original message) is bad.  See the first message (Message ID
20040322004337.GX52612@wantadilla.lemis.com) for a version that I
consider understandable.

On Sunday, 21 March 2004 at 19:35:48 -0500, Lucas Holt wrote:
> Aside from mailing lists, I tend to be a top poster.  I don't like when=
=20
> people leave the last 12 emails and then bottom post.. i have to =20
> scroll all day.  The other irritant is people who actually post in the=20
> middle of messages.  That breaks the "FLOW" as well.  After someone=20
> replies top or bottom its VERY hard to read.
>=20
> How about a new convention.  Delete everything but the last reply in=20
> the thread when you send to the list and say bottom post.  I can live=20
> with that as a top poster.  If I don't have to scroll all day to bottom=
=20
> post, its not a big deal.
>=20
> The bottom line is that people reply.  This list is here to help users=20
> with FreeBSD.  I'd take an answer to my questions in any format!
>=20
>=20
> Lucas Holt
> Luke@FoolishGames.com
> ________________________________________________________
> FoolishGames.com  (Jewel Fan Site)
> JustJournal.com (Free blogging)
>=20
> 'I try to think but nothing happens'
> -- Homer Jay Simpson

"Bottom posting", where you leave the entire previous message, is only
marginally better than top posting.

If the text is important, you should be reading it.  If it isn't, the
sender shouldn't have included it.

On the contrary, it shows you what the discussion is about.  In this
example, I'm answering your points one by one.  I'll repeat the whole
thing with top posting.  Tell me if it's easier to read.

Agreed, mixing styles is the worst of the lot.  That's a very good
reason to insist on one style.

What's wrong with the convention we have?  I'll answer this message a
third time in the style you propose.  Tell me if it's easier to read.

Greg
--=20
Note: I discard all HTML mail unseen.
Finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key.
See complete headers for address and phone numbers.

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