> -----Original Message----- > Responses inline. > > > Jerry Franz wrote: > > > On 12/08/2010 07:03 AM, Scott Robbins wrote: > > >> Honestly, I had no one in mind. > > >> I remember in an effort to get a life outside tech, I joined a > > >> mailing list for something else. I hadn't realized how > > most people > > >> top post, don't trim, and still use aol. > > > > > > It really is worth noting that the bottom-post convention > > used on many > > > technical lists *is not* how most of the planet now does email or > > > other > > > > The damn thing is a conversation. Top posting is talking over > > everyone else. > > I had a customer blast me about inlined responses, it drove me bonkers. > I was > responding to 15 individual questions. > I think that the missed point here is "obey the rules of the list" (I'm ignoring customers who find it hard to read ;-) ). If the rules state bottom posting only then that's it, no arguments. If you don't like the rules don't post/join etc. > > > > > electronic communications. The rage we see here over it is > > really just > > > another technical 'religious war' by people who don't > > tolerate change > > > well. In reality, it doesn't matter much for most things either way > > > and far more harm is done by the howling over it than using either > > > convention actually causes. > > > > So, we should put up with rudeness and obnoxious behavior? > I think that this http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html should be read in conjunction with the list rules. This helps to explain why some questions elicit things that might be considered rude. On other lists that I subscribe to they also take a dim view of top posting - specifically for the reasons of readability, i.e. top posting makes it difficult to pick up a thread mid conversation. Anyway, that's just my two-penneth worth... Simon.