On Monday 20 June 2005 19:42, mike wrote:
On Monday 20 June 2005 17:31, OldSarge wrote:
To All: I thank those who have understood I was asking for help and not trying to engage in a flame war on this issue. As one pointed out, there are others in this group who post on the bottom, there are
Think about this. If you and I are in a private conversation, then I would guess top posting is OK as I already know what I said to you and I am only looking for the answer.
However this list isn't personal. It is read by many. So, the difference is this is much like a book of sorts. Lots if pages, lots of topics.
When you read a book or magazine, do you read it from the bottom up? No, I don't think so. So why should a person scroll down to the bottom of the message to find out what the original problem was? Why not leave the pertinent parts at the top, and write below? This is what is done in books and magazines. Look at Linux Journal/Tech Help as an example. Are the questions at the bottom with the answers above? Don't think so.
Since we are dealing with questions and answers, I am more than happy if the subject is informative and the first thing I read is the solution. If I need to know more then I'll read further down (or previous mailings if I haven't been following the thread). Sometimes bottom posting can be tedious. Sometimes cropped statements are so short, I wonder what is being discussed especially if the subject is not descriptive. I prefer top posting but am happy to go along with the general mood of the list. Sometimes I wonder though, about the "aggression" towards those who don't comply. Eddie