Why reply at the bottom of posts?

[ITinerant]

Hi,
I'm just curious as to why so many replies are under the original post
instead of at the top?
Personally I find this annoying to have to scroll to the bottom to see the
latest reply.
In fact, I usually go on to the next post when I'm just lurking.

What news reader are folks using that does this?

This isn't meant to be a mean spirited question.

/ ITinerant

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

The old Usenet rule was that one answered underneath such that readers could
see what was being answered.. I always read all of the way through, or if
following up, tend to remember what has already been stated.. so I prefer
top posting.. usenet purists dislike it, but hey..

 

[Lardy]

I'm with you. I much prefer the reply to be at the top of the message.
However "Top Posting" seems to get a bad rap in Newsgroups.

Lardy.

 

[Don Schmidt]

When I was working the filing practice was always file in reverse
chronological order. The latest correspondence on the top. Posting on top is
my preference.
It appears Outlook Express follows this criteria for the cursor defaults to
the top.

 

[Bruce Hagen]

When I first started posting replies, I got hollered at for posting either
way. If I reply directly to the OP, I top post. If I tag on to a reply by
someone else, I will usually bottom post.

 

[Bruce Hagen]

<whisper>

Don't spread this around, (I top post too), but..................

To configure replies to bottom post automatically go to:

Start | Run | Regedit | OK. Find:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER | Identities | Guid | Software | Microsoft | Outlook
Express |5.0. In the right pane, right click on a blank area | New | DWORD
Value. Name it Reply At End and set the value to 1.

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP - (IE/OE)
~IB-CA~

 

[dev]

/ITinerant/ said:

I'm just curious as to why so many replies are under the original post
instead of at the top?
Personally I find this annoying to have to scroll to the bottom to see the
latest reply.
In fact, I usually go on to the next post when I'm just lurking.

What news reader are folks using that does this?

This isn't meant to be a mean spirited question.

There are proponents of both styles. Top-posting makes best sense in
mail, when perhaps a single reply can be expected.

In news groups, where threads are deep, I think bottom-posting makes for
better intelligibility - if done with a competent newsreader that does not
mangle quotes as O.E. can. The entire thread can be viewed, and
continuity of the discussion is preserved. Redundancies and sigs can be
stripped. <ctrl-end> usually scrolls to the bottom in a flash.

Another problem with top-posting in groups is that some readers strip out
all text below the -- signature delimiter, as they should. Thus, the
earlier text may vanish, forcing the reader to click on references - which
may have expired from the server.

One thing on which either camp would likely agree is that mixed posting -
bottom and top - quickly creates an unreadable mess. Whichever style you
use, it is best to go with the flow of the thread.^

 

[PA Bear]

[Oh, here we go...]

 

[Leythos]

Hi,
I'm just curious as to why so many replies are under the original post
instead of at the top?

Because in Usenet, which is what this entire system is based on, the
norm is to snip parts of the post you are replying to, so that you don't
repost everything, and put your response BELOW the original. As most
people read from Top Down, this make the flow proper and easy for those
normal types to follow the thread - it also means we can insert comments
in between your lines and you can get a clear understanding of what we
are posting a reply about.

Personally I find this annoying to have to scroll to the bottom to see the
latest reply.

Me too - it means that some lamer didn't bother to "snip" the drivel and
just did a reply without thinking.

In fact, I usually go on to the next post when I'm just lurking.

What news reader are folks using that does this?

The only news reader that doesn't properly bottom post is Outlook
Express as it's not a real Usenet client, it is a kludge.

This isn't meant to be a mean spirited question.

If you search for a Usenet FAQ you would already know that top posting
is for email, where everyone knows what you are already talking about,
since it's between just a couple people.

In Usenet your message could be read by zillions of people and they may
not have seen the prior posts in the thread - that's the reason for the
Top Down method (like in any BOOK you read).

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Hi,
I'm just curious as to why so many replies are under the original post
instead of at the top?
Personally I find this annoying to have to scroll to the bottom to see the
latest reply.
In fact, I usually go on to the next post when I'm just lurking.

What news reader are folks using that does this?

This isn't meant to be a mean spirited question.

/ ITinerant

There's no need to spend time scrolling in Outlook Express. Press
Ctrl-End to get to the bottom of the message instantly.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Then you have to scroll back if it is a long answer.. nooooooooo way..

 

[Ed]

I'm just curious as to why so many replies are under the original post
instead of at the top?

I've never understood why the whole messages being replied to is
brought forward as a quote. I think that is laziness whether posting
at the top or bottom.

I think the more intelligent way is to snip out the specific part(s)
one is replying to and post a specific reply to each specific part.

Personally I find this annoying to have to scroll to the bottom to see the
latest reply.

I find it even more annoying where people bring forward a quote
containing multi levels of quotes going back 10 or more messages and
then post a one sentence reply to it.... LAZY! or... they never
learned what copy&paste is or what the shortcut ctrl-c and ctrl-v is
used for.

This isn't meant to be a mean spirited question.

And it wasn't taken as such, or wasn't by me at least....

Regards,
Ed

Quote

See how utterly Stupid it is?

 

[Kelly]

<whisper>

Don't spread this around, (I top post too), but..................

To configure replies to bottom post automatically go to:

Start | Run | Regedit | OK. Find:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER | Identities | Guid | Software | Microsoft | Outlook
Express |5.0. In the right pane, right click on a blank area | New | DWORD
Value. Name it Reply At End and set the value to 1.

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP - (IE/OE)
~IB-CA~

Like I did here, Bruce? )

For anyone interested in this edit/script, see line 251:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

To use the VBS File: Download .vbs file and save it to your hard drive (you
may want to right click and use Save Target As). Double click the vbs file.
You will be prompted when the script is done.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[NoStop]

The old Usenet rule was that one answered underneath such that readers
could see what was being answered.. I always read all of the way through,
or if following up, tend to remember what has already been stated.. so I
prefer top posting.. usenet purists dislike it, but hey..

.... but hey what? Hey, I'm a Wintard and f*ck the standards. I'll do it the
MickeyMouse way. To hell with UseNet! Someday, MickeyMouse will own it all
and being a Wintard, I might get part of the action.

 

[Bruce Hagen]

Like I did here, Bruce? )

For anyone interested in this edit/script, see line 251:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

To use the VBS File: Download .vbs file and save it to your hard drive
(you may want to right click and use Save Target As). Double click the
vbs file. You will be prompted when the script is done.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

There you go. You let the secret out. <VBG>

Too bad there wasn't an automatic <snipper>.

I'm not against bottom posting, but when your finger goes numb from
scrolling, well.........

 

[Kelly]

I'm not against bottom posting, but when your finger goes numb from
scrolling, well.........

I AM and always have been. )
--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Kelly]

Ah, my bad...almost forgot to add my favorite line on this topic from MVP
Rock:

"I think bottom posting from the top is best."

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Carl G]

I think it is kinda dumb to read the answer before you read the question

 

[Kelly]

However, if you are the original poster, you already know your question and
are waiting for the answer?

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Detlev Dreyer]

I'm just curious as to why so many replies are under the original post
instead of at the top?

I tolerate either way, however, I think that it should be like the
"real life": The answer follows the question...