On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 20:12:33 -0400
Andrew <cmkrnl(a)speakeasy.net> wrote:
Hi Andrew,
> A: Because people read from top to bottom.
> Q: Why is top posting bad?
>
Even though this is off topic...
But if you read the _thread_ from top to bottom maybe you wouldn't
need to have the thread reproduced _in_ every message. If reading the
thread is too much trouble, then maybe the reply is not worth the effort.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Of course always quoting the *complete* post you are replying to is
very bad. But not as bad as top posting of course .. :-)
greetings,
Rob van Nieuwkerk