Fedora Core 2 Test Update: wget-1.9.1-16.fc2

[Andrew]

Good evening Rob,


Rob van Nieuwkerk wrote:
> 
> I think it is good to quote the *relevant* part of the posting you are
> replying to in a reply:
> 
> - it makes a reply easier to understand: you can put your reply lines
>   exactly under the right line of the original text if necessary.
> 

Rather than making it easier to understand, the quote only provides immediate
context.  Sometimes that makes things  easier to understand, but sometimes not.
This, however, is not a forum for a discussion of epistemology.

> - people might not have the part of the thread or the original posting
>   available anymore because they already deleted it (maybe some time ago
>   already).  Providing the relevant context makes a reply much more
>   useful by itself.

This list, like many others are, at least, presumed to be presented in
a threaded context.  The "official" list archives are presented as threads,
and many modern email clients are capable of threaded views.

Many would construe the deleting of messages in a thread as declarative of one's
*disinterest* in the thread, or sub-thread.

> 
> - if this this relevant context is in an email it is also much easier
>   to use it stand-alone.  For example by forwarding it to someone
>   or storing it.
> 

No doubt, but if one has deleted the parent message it could be argued that it
is hardly likely that a "context-less" or top-posted reply would be considered
worthy enough to be personally archived or forwarded to others.

> Of course always quoting the *complete* post you are replying to is
> very bad.  But not as bad as top posting of course .. :-)
> 

Perhaps those replies should simply meet the same fate as the previous
parts of the thread that were deleted.

Many people err, and sometimes a top-post will happen.  Sometimes things like
top-posts happen because the poster is unfamiliar with the latest advances in
etiquette for mailing lists. Sometimes people just make mistakes and hit
"send" too quickly. If one feels it necessary to correct another on topics such
as top-posting or other etiquette issues, one might consider avoiding humorous
salutations such as "Hi, top poster". I doubt however, that an appeal to
etiquette could be legitimately sustained when one considers that the use of
humor while correcting another is indistinguishable from sarcasm.

Finally, let me apologize for committing one of the greatest sins against mailing list
etiquette, i.e., hijacking the thread. --

Andrew