interleaved posting is considered harmful. /bill
On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 08:05:51PM -0400, Jay Ashworth wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Daniel Staal" <[email protected]> > > > --As of April 11, 2011 3:11:15 PM -0400, Jay Ashworth is alleged to > > have said: > > Nope; I really said it. :-) > > > > Standard threaded (IE: not top-posted) replies have been the standard for > > > technical mailing lists on the net since I first joined one. > > > > > > In 1983. > > Footnote: Maybe that was more Usenet, that early. :-) > > > > Anyone who has a problem with it can, in short, go bugger off. > > > Really. > > > > --As for the rest, it is mine. > > > > I've found my mail has fallen into three basic categories over time: > > > > 1) Mailing list, technical or otherwise. > > 2) Personal discussions. > > 3) 'Official' work email, of one form or another. > > > > Of the three, #1 almost always is either bottom posted, or fully > > intermixed. #2 I often introduce people to the idea, but once they get > > it they like it. In both of these it is more important what is replying > > to what, and what the *current state* of the conversation is. Either one > > I can rely on the other participants to have the history (or at least > > have access to it). Top-posting in either context is non-helpful. > > Well put. > > > #3, is always top-posted, and I've grown to like that in that context. > > The most current post serves as a 'this is where we are right now, and > > what needs to be done', while the rest tends to preserve the *entire* > > history, including any parts I was not a part of initially. (For instance: A > > user sends an email to their boss, who emails the helpdesk, who emails back > > for clarification, and then forwards on that reply to me. At that point > > it's often nice to know what the original issue was, or to be able to reach > > the user directly instead of through several layers of intermediary.) > > I sorely hate to admit it, but you're right. I tried doing traditional > quoting on emails in my last position (as IT director in a call center), > and everyone else's heads came off and rolled around on the floor; my boss, > the controller, actually *asked me to stop*. > > > It has different strengths and weaknesses, and can be useful in it's > > place. Mailing lists are not top-posting's place. ;) > > We clearly agree, here. Hopefully, we've clarified the reasons why, > for anyone who was on the fence. > > > (As for HTML email... I've yet to meet an actual human who routinely > > used HTML-only emails. They are a sure sign of a marketing department's > > involvement.) > > I have. No, not necessarily. > > Cheers, > -- jra
