top or bottom?

[Victor]

There is another reason why bottom-posting is "evil". Some email
clients--both web-based and standalone--do not differentiate between
nested messages or even strip the nesting code that might come from
another email client. For example, while I am looking at this message
right now, my text is flush on the left and wrapped on the right at x
characters (usually defaults to 72 or 80). Arnold's text on the bottom
is indented on both sides and is highlighted with "quote" bars. Ron's
text is indented a bit further and double-barred.

In another program, the bars might disappear. In a text-based client,
they might be replaced with traditional quote-symbols--usually > or %,
but they often can be set by the user. But there is no simple way to
keep track of who said what if there is no markers for nested quotes.
When the response is detailed and specific to particular points in an
earlier message, it is often tempting--and even advisable--to alternate
paragraphs. However, I've received correspondence where it is impossible
to differentiate between the original quoted message and partial replies
to it. Other messages that bottom-post suffer from the same problem. In
fact, some email clients are (or can be) set to display "Original
message ==========" line before quoted text. If you use one of those,
you are not likely to bottom post (because there are no other markers to
highlight quoted text and the program always puts the cursor at the
top). If someone then tries to bottom-post on top of such a message, it
makes for a real mess.

Where is a good prescriptivist when you need one to tell you to *always*
top post?

    VS-)

Arnold Zwicky wrote:
> On Mar 9, 2009, at 11:06 AM, Ron Butters wrote:
>
>
>> No, bottom-posting is evil. One has to scroll through all kinds of
>> crap that one already has seen in order to get to the comment. And
>> the comment most relevant to what one wants to post about is way at
>> the bottom.
>>
>
> yes, this is annoying if the poster reproduces the entire thread.
> another piece of posting etiquette is trimming your posting
> appropriately.
>
>

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