From: Charles O Nutter <headius@...>
Date: 2006-09-02T08:33:26+09:00
Subject: Re: Off topic: What is "top posting" ??

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On 9/1/06, Chad Perrin <perrin@apotheon.com> wrote:

> After all, there's no reason to respond to "I disagree" as the complete
> original text of your message, and it can safely be thrown away without
> ever missing it.  On the other hand, you'd have just wasted the time of
> everyone who already knows you disagree and doesn't find any value of a
> statement of opinion without any discussion of the whys and wherefores
> attached.  Seems like kind of a waste of bandwidth to me, as well as a
> waste of braincycles.


It was a contrived example. Next time I'll use something you won't take so
literally, like XXXXX...hopefully you won't argue the finer points of
replying to an email with a series of Xs. Let's try to focus a bit, shall
we? :)

> <bait>win-dows. mul-ti-task-ing. It's 2006 man.</bait>
>
> Windows doesn't have a monopoly on multitasking.  In fact, in
> comparison with competing OSes, it kinda sucks at it under the hood (try
> doing any serious threads programming on Windows some time).


Note the lower-case w. I do believe there are other multitasking windowing
systems out there.

I don't WANT my desktop cluttered up with multiple windows just to
> respond to your message.  I'd rather /dev/null the thing.  Besides, not
> everyone in the world is blessed with the ability to use your tools or,
> for that matter, with the arrogant assumption that their way is the only
> way.


Kinda like bottom-post zealots, eh?


> One of my problems with top-posting is that, when it becomes appropriate
> for inline-posting to take place, previous top-posting can really screw
> that up so that either a lot of cut-and-paste has to occur or the
> resultant reply looks like a plate of angel hair pasta.


Which is little better than posts that have been mercilessly chopped and
cropped...if you want to find the missing pieces and reply to them, you have
to dig anyway. If you want to inline-post to multiple people from a given
thread, you have to copy and paste. At least with a top post I can see the
entire context of the original message so I know a replier isn't cutting out
important bits I should be able to see or quoting things out of context.

In the end, though, I doubt we're going to come to terms on this. Some folks
will complain bitterly about the pain top-posting causes them, and those of
us using tools that don't care about top or bottom-posting will do whatever
causes us the least headaches. Bottom posters will cry foul and tear into
folks that may or may not realized the agony they're causing, and top
posters will decry the petty triviality of arguing over whether to reply at
the top or at the bottom. When all's said and done we're back where we
started, minus the time we spent to complain and vent our frustrations. And
isn't that what makes the internet great? It's the best therapy around!

-- 
Contribute to RubySpec! @ www.headius.com/rubyspec
Charles Oliver Nutter @ headius.blogspot.com
Ruby User @ ruby.mn
JRuby Developer @ www.jruby.org

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