Protocol and a query

[Rudolph C Troike]

I've been off the list for some time, but I seem to remember a couple of
years ago that Natalie conscientiously reminded people periodically NOT to
automatically include prior correspondence in replies, unless editing it
to respond to particular points. I was quite surprised in returning to
find hundreds of lines in the daily digest composed perhaps 50% or more of
endless repetitions of all previous correspondence on a thread. I would
suggest that a little self-policing on this would help keep our mailboxes
from constantly overloading.
        Query: When I brought up the usual observation about the /krIk/~
/kriyk/ difference in <creek>, one student from the northeast observed
that he had differentiated the two in meaning, using /I/ for smaller
streams (what Southerners might call a "branch"), and /iy/ for larger. I
wonder if this was purely idiosyncratic, or possibly more widespread along
the /iy/:/I/ border?  -- Rudy