J
JD
I've seen repeated references to this lately, but don't know what it is. I
take it it is a no-no, like typing in all caps?
take it it is a no-no, like typing in all caps?
W
WTC
This is Top Posting and then look at my other post.
W
WTC
JD said:
This is Bottom posting. Some usenets forbid top posting but in the Microsoft
Usenets, it is allowed since the default behaviour of Outlook Express does
Top Posting. You would need a registry tweak to have Outlook Express to
Bottom Post.
S
Shenan Stanley
JD said:
I will reply and show you bottom posting.
- This is it. -
Top-Posting would have put all the text I typed above your message.
Inline-posting would have been ineffective with your particular post - but
for longer ones, I could snip out certain parts of your text and answer then
one at a time, sequentially... inline.
"Bottom-Posting" and "Inline-Posting" replies are more widely accepted.
They follow a logical progression of "Question" then "Answer". This is the
reason I use this method, personally.
A Google Search for "top-posting" will give you all sorts of results.
This person had ENTIRELY too much time on their hands and has posted
for/against arguments for both types of postings..
http://mailformat.dan.info/quoting/top-posting.html
http://mailformat.dan.info/quoting/bottom-posting.html
It's really a matter of "netiquette"..
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/n/netiquette.html
You'll notice that the "Rules of Conduct" for the Microsoft Communities
(which can be found here):
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/conduct/default.mspx
mention nothing about Top vs. Bottom vs. Inline posting.
So how should you post? Up to you. Many "Top-Posters" get filtered from
many people's newsreaders (by choice of the reader on a per-person basis)
because they hate the practice so much. Many others could care less how the
answers get out there, as long as the correct answers do get put out there.
Others argue vehemently for one side or the other.
It's a matter of preference, really. Some will point you to a 1995 RFC that
discusses "Netiquette" - which in many ways is outdated, but as an RFC is a
"Request for Comments" -> You can read the comments included and decide the
side you are on. heh
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1855.html
J
JD
Thanks. I use Outlook Express and it top posts by default. I think it makes
sense, since a reader can scroll to see the preceding if he needs to, but
won't have to if he's following a thread. Wouldn't it be a nuisance to have
to scroll to the bottom of each post in order to read it?
sense, since a reader can scroll to see the preceding if he needs to, but
won't have to if he's following a thread. Wouldn't it be a nuisance to have
to scroll to the bottom of each post in order to read it?
W
WTC
JD said:
I do not think so, I read a book from top to bottom.
T
Testy
.....and every time you open a book you start from page 1?
Testy
Testy
F
FeMaster
[Question continuation]
.... and flip page by page until you get to the one you left off at?
Top posting, while strange looking, makes threads easier to follow if you
have been around since the beginning of the thread. If you haven't, THEN
you can scroll down to see what you missed out on. Why go through all the
crap you have already seen (or read) just to get to the small portion that
you haven't. Like the question asks, would you skim, page by page, over the
50 pages you are already read in a book until you got to page 51 so you
could start reading the portion that you have yet to read? I know I sure in
the hell wouldn't and don't; it would be a major waist of time. I use a
book mark (what you could loosely call the equivalent of a top-post) to mark
the page so that I can open up to right where I left off.
The whole idea of bottom-posting, in itself, is ridiculous and makes little
to no sense...
My opinion, yours will very...
.... and flip page by page until you get to the one you left off at?
Top posting, while strange looking, makes threads easier to follow if you
have been around since the beginning of the thread. If you haven't, THEN
you can scroll down to see what you missed out on. Why go through all the
crap you have already seen (or read) just to get to the small portion that
you haven't. Like the question asks, would you skim, page by page, over the
50 pages you are already read in a book until you got to page 51 so you
could start reading the portion that you have yet to read? I know I sure in
the hell wouldn't and don't; it would be a major waist of time. I use a
book mark (what you could loosely call the equivalent of a top-post) to mark
the page so that I can open up to right where I left off.
The whole idea of bottom-posting, in itself, is ridiculous and makes little
to no sense...
My opinion, yours will very...
S
Shenan Stanley
FeMaster said:
Comparing top-posting and bottom-posting to a book is a little far-fetched
(to me.)
It would be better compared to an auction.. Where the question is what you
are bidding on and the answers are the bids..
I don't know about you, but I like to know what I am bidding on before
yelling "$50" out to bid on it. *grin*
As for using the book example:
I don't skim through what I have already read. I also don't read anything
in a post I have already read (unless I feel I may have missed something)..
Opening to a certain page in a book actually takes longer (unless you have a
bookmark, maybe, but what if I stopped reading 1/3 the way down on the page
on the left, it will take a second for my eyes to zoom to that exact spot,
right?) than holding down the "Page Down" key on my keyboard - and if I
COULD read as fast as the page down key moves me, I would know a lot more
than I do, that is for sure! *grin*
Again - I don't care which you do or why you do it, as long as you at least
try to give correct answers to those who ask questions. =) I assume -
again - it is a personal preference.. 'How does your mind work' type of
thing.. I won't make a judgment call and say that people who top-post are
annoying or that I will *plonk* them so I don't have to see it - that would
be childish at best. Everyone can help in their own way - or we would all
be the same and I would be bored.
Z
Zilbandy
Since I tend to read usenet posts just a couple times a day, it's
easier for me to read replies top posted. The vast majority of the
time, I already know what the thread is about. To me, top posting
makes sense and not having to scroll a bunch of lines I just read from
the previous post makes top posting better... IMHO.
However... if
you have a long reply, then bottom posting might be better. Using
common sense and trimming quoted material makes this whole issue a non
issue.
easier for me to read replies top posted. The vast majority of the
time, I already know what the thread is about. To me, top posting
makes sense and not having to scroll a bunch of lines I just read from
the previous post makes top posting better... IMHO.
However... ifyou have a long reply, then bottom posting might be better. Using
common sense and trimming quoted material makes this whole issue a non
issue.
Z
Zilbandy
At my age, I sometimes have to, if the book is over 20 pages long. LOL
F
FeMaster
LOL
M
Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)
Shenan, and all others in this thread
I always top post because I use OE to read and reply.. personally, I think
that it is easier, not just for me to answer, but also to quickly go through
threads to get a feel for what has been said already..
However, I am here to help and learn, so I accept both top and bottom
posting in those interests..
Inline posting (threading replies into a previous post) is ok as long as
there are only two participants and where one is the question or statement
and the other is the former plus reply.. any more than that and one has to
almost role play as the ensuing posts take on the format of a movie script..
--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user
I always top post because I use OE to read and reply.. personally, I think
that it is easier, not just for me to answer, but also to quickly go through
threads to get a feel for what has been said already..
However, I am here to help and learn, so I accept both top and bottom
posting in those interests..
Inline posting (threading replies into a previous post) is ok as long as
there are only two participants and where one is the question or statement
and the other is the former plus reply.. any more than that and one has to
almost role play as the ensuing posts take on the format of a movie script..
--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user
Shenan Stanley said:
S
Stan Brown
Yes, though some groups (like this on) seem to have a much higher
incidence of it.
David Stevenson's article at
<http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/gey_stv0.htm> explains the issues
excellently.
S
Stan Brown
Or you'd have to (gasp!) take a second to move your cursor. I have
never understood why that is an insurmountal obstacle for some
people.
Top or bottom, it's also important to trim the quoted material to
just the essential.
S
Stan Brown
--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
A: Maybe because some people are too annoyed by top-posting.
Q: Why do I not get an answer to my question(s)?
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read
text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
F
FeMaster
Then my advice would be to start reading at the beginning of a THREAD, where
a person should start from in the first place... Your theory could be
compared to one of my pet peeves; people who jump into a conversation, in
the middle, and make comment when they have no idea what is going on... Now
that is a nuisance...
a person should start from in the first place... Your theory could be
compared to one of my pet peeves; people who jump into a conversation, in
the middle, and make comment when they have no idea what is going on... Now
that is a nuisance...
C
C A Upsdell
FeMaster said:
1. It is not always possible to start reading at the beginning of a
thread, because it may have expired.
2. A thread often evolves, so the original message may not cast much
light on the current messages.
3. If everyone bottom-posts, messages are like conversations, and
people can easily follow the ideas in the thread. If everyone
top-posts, people would have to read the conversation backwards. If
some top-post, and some bottom-post, you have cacophany.
J
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
This argument for top vs. bottom can and has gone for a very long time and
is not likely to change in the near future.
1. Then Google it or get it from another source.
How you post should not be solely defined on the POSSIBILITY others MAY find
the thread later.
2. See above
3. For many, having to scroll through all that has been previously read can
be a nuisance.
The comparisons many make to letters and books are not relevant since those
are not normally added to by each person.
For many top posting makes sense since the new information is on the top and
no scrolling necessary unless one needs to catch up on what was previously
missed.
Both are acceptable and correct.
Those that can not tolerate one should only post to groups where that form
is exclusively used.
Otherwise reading post both ways is their choice.
is not likely to change in the near future.
1. Then Google it or get it from another source.
How you post should not be solely defined on the POSSIBILITY others MAY find
the thread later.
2. See above
3. For many, having to scroll through all that has been previously read can
be a nuisance.
The comparisons many make to letters and books are not relevant since those
are not normally added to by each person.
For many top posting makes sense since the new information is on the top and
no scrolling necessary unless one needs to catch up on what was previously
missed.
Both are acceptable and correct.
Those that can not tolerate one should only post to groups where that form
is exclusively used.
Otherwise reading post both ways is their choice.
S
Stan Brown
in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support:
That's a straw man. Top- or bottom-posting, someone writing a
follow-up needs to trim the quoting to the minimum that is
adequate.
In other words, if readers have to scroll through a lot of quotes,
the poster didn't do his/her job of triming adequately.
microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support:
That's a straw man. Top- or bottom-posting, someone writing a
follow-up needs to trim the quoting to the minimum that is
adequate.
In other words, if readers have to scroll through a lot of quotes,
the poster didn't do his/her job of triming adequately.