"IDENTIFY THOSE WHOM YOU QUOTE: Remember to put some indicator above the quote that indicates who said it. Many e-mailers do this for you automatically. Discussions are much easier to follow if we know who is saying what."
To stay within these guidelines it would be best to use the form "Xxxxx:" to identify the poster of the text folloeing it, meaning "Xxxxx wrote the following:". Also, when one is inserting their own response within another's message, it is common to preceed one's own comments with their own name and a colon to offset their own comments from the others.
If others are specifically being addressed by a comment, perhaps the following form would work:
"Perry, I think, etc, etc, etc...".
Using a "," rather than a ":" seems to personalize the response.
Also, keep in mind that most email programs already identify the one who wrote the original (or previous) response, in one form or another, as the one I use did below. (The original text in my replies are also preceded by ">", which shows up as a veritcal bar on some email programs, as ">" on others.)
From: Terry Clifton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Thanks Perry, from one who is easily confused. I have always started my writing with Joe:, or Henry: or whoever, and have been mildly confused by the things you explain above, so I have taken to omitting that salutation in favor of some other beginning that is more readily understood. That seemed simpler to me than to ask others to do as I do, or to change and do it the way others do, especially when it is done in numerous ways. Might I suggest that you poll the participants as to how they would prefer to use this opening so that we can all readily understand who is doing the addressing, and who is being addressed?
It would be nice if we were all on the same page on this.
Terry
So, in recap, lets try to use "Xxxxx:" to identify BY whom the comments were made, including our own comments, if needed, and use some other form like "Xxxxx, blah, blah blah..." to identify those TO whom personal comments are being directed.
Perry
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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