Matthew Rosewarne on 3 Nov 2007 00:15:27 -0000


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Re: Top posting and quoting (was Re: [PLUG] Hauppauge PVR-500 capture...)


On Friday 02 November 2007, Chuckk Hubbard wrote:
> It is not *that* hard to read. ÂIt's fine if you don't like it, but a list
> devoted to software based on freedom and choice should welcome all options,
> especially when those options are familiar to internet users. ÂTry reading
> a blog where all the new posts go at the bottom.

I believe what JP is saying isn't that one should quote the entire message and 
put your reply at the very bottom, but that one should quote only the 
pertinent parts of the message and put your reply after that.  That way, it 
keeps the amount of unnecessary quoting to a minimum and makes your reply 
much easier to follow.

Consider the following exchange:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: aaron@example.net
Subj: Linux?

 I hear there's some new thing out the called Linux?  Anyone heard of it?
 
 I hear there's a group of fantastically smart and good-looking people who
 meet and talk about linux in Philly, so I'm going to their next meeting.
 
 How much does Linux cost?  I can't afford much.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A reply that uses top-posting makes the thread of conversation difficult to 
follow.  The reader needs to keep switching focus between the quoted message 
and the reply to understand the post. It's also harder for the reader to 
associate the different parts of the quoted message with its corresponding 
part in the reply.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: zach@example.net
Subj: Re: Linux?

 Yeah, I hear it's what supermodel geniuses use.

 I think it's about $1.05.

 >I hear there's some new thing out the called Linux?  Anyone heard of it?
 >
 >I hear there's a group of fantastically smart and good-looking people who 
meet
 >and talk about linux somewhere in Philly, so I'm going to their next 
meeting.
 >
 >How much does Linux cost?  I can't afford much.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A better method to reply is called "inline-replying".  This style makes it 
easier to follow the continuity of the conversation, as well as easier to 
distinguish the different parts.  It also removes unnecessary noise from the 
thread.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: zach@example.net
Subj: Re: Linux?


 >I hear there's some new thing out the called Linux?  Anyone heard of it?

 Yeah, I hear it's what supermodel geniuses use.

 >How much does Linux cost?  I can't afford much.

 I think it's about $1.05.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope that helps explain things a bit more.

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