On Monday, May 6, 2013, Craig James wrote:
Just out of curiousity, I see comments like this all the time:
> (*please* stop top-posting).
I've been participating in newsgroups since UUCP days, and I've never encountered a group before that encouraged bottom posting. Bottom posting has traditionally been considered rude -- it forces readers to scroll, often through pages and pages of text, to see a few lines of original material.
The most efficient strategy, one that respects other members' time, is to briefly summarize your point at the TOP of a posting, then to *briefly* quote only the relevant parts of the post to which you are replying, and bottom-post after the quoted text. That lets your reader quickly see if it's relevant or not, and move on to the next post.
Contributors in these newsgroups seem to think it's OK to quote five pages of someone else's response, then add one or two sentences at the bottom ... it's just laziness that forces readers to wade through the same stuff over and over in each thread.
How did the Postgres newsgroups get started with this "only bottom post" idea?
(I'm not trying to start a flame war, just genuinely curious.)
Craig
Hi,
I was curious as well about this topic...
I am the one who also be asked (please stop top-posting). And I did - just to respect the rule in community...
But, IMO it is something totally irrelevant now-days... With today tools... I understand why such thing has been important 20-30 years ago (in previous century)
I use three different tools - on three different devices - and all sort messages by subject then by date... And I think all hide the old messages (on what is reply...) It is always up to reader - what will read and from where... Whatever is the rule top or bottom... I really don't see the difference in reading... In writing - ok, bottom post requires a bit more effort - but it is not that big deal if it makes someone else happy...
Cheers,