Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 11:26:36 -0500 (EST) From: Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@clunix.cl.msu.edu> To: robert@irrelevant.com (Rob) Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Top posting Message-ID: <200403221626.i2MGQaE10782@clunix.cl.msu.edu> In-Reply-To: <5.1.1.6.0.20040322152247.047a9008@albert> from "Rob" at Mar 22, 2004 03:49:33 PM
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> > > >When you are posting to a list, there is a time lag and a distance that > >needs to be overcome. > >... > > I'm more of a lurker on the questions list, although I chime in when I see > something I can help with. I've been reading this through and I don't > think anybody has pointed out one important topic so far, although touched > upon by your point abut the time lag. It is that these messages get > archived! > ... > So, when you have a problem, and you search the web for FreeBSD + your > particular error message, you are very likely to come across a mailing list > message. (I know I do anyway.) This could very have been written > yesterday, or six years ago, and you have likely have no idea of context. > > Having the entire subject available in that first message you find - > original problem, suggested solution, results of that solution, follow-ups, > etc - means you have there an instant resource that is very valuable. > > Having to trawl through a poorly threaded web-based archive to try and find > out if it was the same problem you had when your search only gets to to the > solution, (when the posters trim too much) or through masses of > intermediate junk (when a topic gets big like this, and it's ALL quoted) is > pretty hard work. > > Certainly, interleaved or (at worst) bottom posted text makes life a great > deal easier when coming across a post in isolation like this. You can read > through and you get the questions and answers, in context, in time-line order. Good point. ////jerry > > Rob. > > > >
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