Today, Alan made these interesting comments ...
For many of the 'purists' who make an issue of top-posting in
newsgroups, whatever reasons there once might have been for
bottom-posting are no longer obvious (if in fact it ever was
obvious), and no longer valid.
I grew up with top posting E-mails but it wasn't until my ways
were challenged on Usenet that I first discovered bottom posting
as an alternative that allows a reader to first review what was
being replied to. I think that top posting may have had its roots
in the .cc we were all used to in typewritten letters, by
definition those were "top posted" since the "carbon copy(s)"
were really on the bottom, more as attachments.
Then later, I "discovered" interleave posting, as I am doing
here, and the gentle art of snipping so as to eliminate the
replies to replies to replies ad infinatum and ad nauseum.
There are times I still top post today, as well I just want to
very quickly make a statement like "I agree" or "I disagree" and
I still bottom post today when I feel that it is necessary for
readers of my reply to be forced to read what I am replying to.
But, largely, I interleave post, often with snipping, espcially
of my own copied previous testimony.
We are all used to reading business emails, which have been
forwarded ad-infinitum, with the actual message of importance
on the very top. Besides being used to this format in email,
it logically makes sense. How can scrolling down through 3
pages of prior information -- in order to read the one
sentence of importance -- be considered efficient?
please see above for my view of business letter, both traditional
and word processor.
The world has changed: Automobile drivers no longer use hand
signals; the grammar police say it's now okay to end a
sentence with a preposition (some claim it was never
considered incorrect anyway); and top-posting has become
adopted as the style of choice in newsgroup postings.
The world has indeed changed, not only don't drivers use hand
signals, they also don't use electrical turn signals! And, the
grammar police and spelling police are appeasing the laziness of
students and the apathy of parents and school boards, to the
detriment of our student. We cannot always rely on spellung ayndd
gremmer chekkurs. But, I do not at all agree that top posting has
seen a resurgeance. Maybe here, but in the places I frequent - to
the extent there are knowledgeable/enlightened readers and OPs -
top posting is a sure way to getting flamed.
[snip]
