[OT] TOP-POSTING

[jdow]

From: "Alexander Dalloz" <ad+lists at uni-x.org>

> Michael Yep schrieb:
> 
>>Sorry I do not know what top posting is. I run Thunderbird 1.5.0.4, and
>>this is the default setup with a signature.
>>I this the incorrect format ?
>>  
>>
> No. You provide your additional comment to a previous list posting at 
> top of it. That is what top-posting means.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-posting
> 
> It makes following a topic more difficult than it would have to be. If 
> you reply to a list posting you nearly always want to contribute (ask, 
> add, ...) to specific parts of the previous post(s). Doing that on top 
> of the mail does not make clear to which part of the previous 
> communication this belongs.
> This leads directly to the following aspect: top-posters typically do 
> not strip what they quote. On a list like this it is not necessary to 
> repeat the complete previous content by quoting all. Interested readers 
> can thread the list, list archives organize their access to in a 
> threaded way. TOFU (=top-posting + fully quoting) is thus annoying in 2 
> ways: it makes it harder to see the discussion / argument threads and it 
> wastes bandwidth + storage space.
> 
> This isn't meant personally, trying to explain by giving arguments.
> 
> The Fedora Wiki has a page with "rules" written down: 
> http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/MailinglistGuidelines

Alex, rules are for pedantics, tyrants, Democrats, and religious
fanatics. Humans should be adaptable. But I do agree that bottom
posting is somewhat easier to read and should be RECOMMENDED but
not insisted upon.

{^,-}   Joanne winking and sticking her tongue out in your general
        direction.