[Tfug] Netiquette police: top-posting

[johngalt]

From: "Claude Rubinson" <rubinson at u.arizona.edu>
To: "TFUG" <tfug at tfug.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 11:32 AM
Subject: [Tfug] Netiquette police: top-posting


> Not directed at anyone in particular but there's been a rash of
people
> top-posting lately.  It's really annoying.
Poor grammar and spelling is really annoying too, especially to those
who are sensitive to syntax such as people who develop stuff for
computers like programmers. However, I personally have overcome my
personal problem of getting irritated over other people's stupidity.

> I just want to remind
> people not to do this and, furthermore, prod people into taking the
> time to quote only those portions of the message that your replying
> to, providing context for your reply and keeping messages to a
> manageable length.
See for example, if I were to point out in the example above that
using the word *your* instead of the proper contraction *you're*
(which means *you are*) is poor practice, that would be a flame,
subject to scorn and ridicule by those (non-mean-spirited people) who
tolerate and encourage stupidity.

>If your editor makes this difficult for you then
>it's time to get yourself a better editor.
If your editor makes grammar difficult for you then
it's time to get yourself a better editor. - Touché.

On an anal-retentive standpoint, it's encouraging that a guy born in
August of 1974 cares enough about protocol to stick his neck out..

Nevertheless, back to the topic of top-posting, I have come full
circle regarding the issue. After not being aware of the issue
initially, I was a foe of top-posting because it is poor protocol and
"it messes up the order in which people normally read text".
Nevertheless, after further consideration I really don't care anymore
either way.

If one has been following the thread well, or if your reader presents
the thread hierarchically, top-posters give you the luxury of not
having to scroll to the bottom to see their thought.

OTOH, the top-poster has forced those who are loathe to parse any
quoted material to do so in order to put things in context.

Regardless, the bottom poster forces one to review all the relevant
thread again, which is a waste of time, if you have followed the
thread well, unless you skip to the bottom. However, if you need to
put things in context after skipping down to the bottom, you have to
back up, which is in reverse to the order in which people normally
read text.

One thing I would recommend after saying all of this is that you
should use an email app. or reader that inserts ">" for quoted text.
Otherwise reassembling the context if necessary is much more difficult
in any case. That way, when middle posting especially, nesting of
multiple replies is evident. Bwaaahhhaaa ha ha ha haaa, more caffeine,
please......

Whatever...