[asterisk-users] Replying to Posts

James B. Byrne byrnejb at harte-lyne.ca
Fri Mar 14 08:52:09 CDT 2014


On Thu, March 13, 2014 15:32, Kevin Larsen wrote:
>> On 13/3/14 6:27 pm, Eric Wieling wrote:
>> > This is an example of why I top post.   Who wrote what?
>>

+1-1 = 0

I do not care about where people put their replies so long as I can figure out
who is answering what.  What I do not like to read is this interminable
religious dogma about the 'natural' order of writing.  This is the second or
third list this week in which this B.S. has shown up in my inbox.

In written business communication, in contrast to tech-speak customarily found
on mailing lists, ones answer always goes before any quoted context.  Not
because it has to, it is just that I have seldom, if ever, seen it done any
other way. And regular business communication with non-technical folk
comprises well over 75% of my daily written communication.

And while I understand the cultural motivation behind the dogma of bottom
posting I remain sceptical respecting its utility.  Is there any objective
evidence whatsoever that top or bottom posting makes any difference to the
reader's understanding of the message?  Does any rigorously determined data
exist to support that contention?  If not then this is simply a matter of
trying to impose a set of arbitrary cultural values cloaked in the guise of
technical superiority.


>> Of course, if you use a mail client that's capable of quoting correctly,
>
>> it all works beautifully.
>>
>
> Outlook can quote correctly, but it is an all or nothing setting it would
> appear. Lotus Notes actually handles it better as there is a Reply option
> for normal email and a Reply With Internet-Style History that I use for
> this list. I don't have any problems following the rules of the list, but
> I am fully on the side of the "Replies should go at the top" group and
> would vote for a change in the rules.
>


And do not even start on the Chevy vs. Ford debate respecting the technical
superiority of Pine over Outlook.  GAWD... Life its too short as it is.


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