Re: [Evolution] Compositing Pet Peeve

[William Kenworthy <billk iinet net au>]

On Sat, 2010-07-03 at 17:56 -0400, Philippe LeCavalier wrote:
> On Sat, 2010-07-03 at 19:24 +0800, Ng Oon-Ee wrote: 
> > On Fri, 2010-07-02 at 18:33 -0430, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:
> > > On Fri, 2010-07-02 at 14:25 -0400, Philippe LeCavalier wrote:
> > > > > > P.S. Of course, I wouldn't see this if I weren't top-posting but
> > > > ppl
> > > > > > never see my replies when I interweave my responses.
> > > > >
> > > > > Er, yes we do.
> > > >
> > > > Yes. You certainly do just like everyone else here but none of my
> > > > clients do ;)
> > >
> > > Your clients presumably aren't using mailing lists. The objection to
> > > top-posting is strictly in the context of Internet mailing lists, which
> > > tend to have many members, last for many years, and have all their
> > > traffic archived. In other contexts, do whatever seems best. I often use
> > > top-posting in private communications.
> >
> > Perhaps Philippe should file a bug against his clients =p.
> :) Yes. I've tried brut force many times regarding top vs bottom 


> ...


Maybe, just maybe all those thousands of people who continue to top post
even when chivvied about it on lists are actually right, and those who
bottom post do it out of habit and use of outdated/archaic mail readers.

To me, after using the Internet since ~1994 and email for many years
earlier on private networks AND with almost all the lists I am currently
on want bottom posting so its not for lack of exposure I find bottom
posting awkward and ... yes, stupid, especially when not trimmed.
Bottom posters often drag out a couple of "etiquette" type emails to
justify it but they were also written, or based on similar work in the
ancient past - no longer relevant I am afraid.

So live and let live.  If a thread starts with top posting continue that
way, if its bottom posting, continue that way, if you see a need to
interleave, put something like "Replies inline ...".

And always trim old stuff from your email.  If its a list, it'll be in
the backlog.  It is really annoying to have to scroll down pages of
stuff some ignorant bottom poster has failed to trim - usually I and
many others I am aware of dont bother to scroll down so your reply is
wasted.  I suspect that much of the resistance to bottom posting
actually stems from having to scroll down emails - extra work.

Like it or not, the Internet and its users are and are still changing
and bottom posting seems part of an unwanted past by the new
generations.

Sorry if I sound offensive, but some peoples intolerance and bigotry
about such a simple thing as top/bottom posting gets me worked up - not
the top/bottom posting itself!

Live and let live I say!

BillK