On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 00:20:30 -0500 Robert L Cochran <cochranb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Top posting is used in a lot of mailing lists, numerous organizations, > and millions of individuals as routine. There just isn't the time to > fuss over the perfect placement of each and every word in an email. In a > large group of highly paid people, the preference is to accept the > default settings of the email client picked by the IT department, and > the default settings are for top posting. In the even larger group of > not so well paid people, the default settings of the email client are > accepted without question because that is The Way It Is. > > So top posting has an enormous installed client base. Top posting is > very much in favor in the world. > > I myself do what most people do: accept the default mail settings and > get my email out the door because I have other things to do with my > life. Bob, Your reasons are understandable but there is a benefit in _everyone_ following a few simple common rules. While it is easy to dismiss as irrelevant I think you've overlooked some points. Remember that whatever time it takes you to create an email, is dwarfed by the amount of time consumed by the large number of people reading it. Effective communication sometimes takes more than doing whatever is convenient for yourself. If your posts contain useful information it will be easier to digest by those who find it in the archives and don't have to do mental gymnastics to decipher the train of thought. This is especially true in long threads. Bottom posting can also encourage proper trimming of quoted material (which is actually a bigger problem IMHO). By forcing yourself to scroll down you are more likely to realize what can be trimmed. Doing simple things like using a proper subject line makes the lives of people trying to read the list easier. Nobody is enforcing a standard on the Fedora lists but the main reason you give for your choice "others do it so it's ok for me" is not a strong argument. If you spend the time to respect the readership of the list you'd find that it doesn't take that much longer and makes your contribution that much more valuable. After all, you can still top post in private with your highly paid colleagues. ;o) $0.02, Sean
