ATTN SELF-STYLED LIST POLICE (was RE: Mr. Day)

Gene Heskett gene.heskett at verizon.net
Tue Dec 7 14:34:06 UTC 2004


On Tuesday 07 December 2004 01:59, Thomas Cameron wrote:
>On Tue, 2004-12-07 at 13:50 +0800, John Summerfield wrote:
>> Thank you Gene.
>>
>> I've never said more than "please post no HTML" and, when provoked
>> then provided some reasons.
>
>Then my post certainly wasn't directed at you.  I think I made clear
>over and over that I was talking to the people on this list who take
> a "holier than thou," condescending or downright rude tone with
> newcomers.
>
>> I am offended at the rudeness of people such as Thomas.
>
>I am truly sorry if you are offended.
>
>> There are many factors
>> that go to _my_ choice of email client, and its ability to render
>> HTML and Javascript does not rank. I chose one to suit _my_
>> requirements.
>
>Great - I agree with your reasoning.  I think that is the only way
> to choose any tool.  BUT - if 92-93% of the list uses MUAs which
> handle HTML just fine, how is it reasonable that that 92-93% should
> change their ways to support the 7-8% of the list members who
> voluntarily choose to use an MUA which doesn't handle HTML?

I believe your estimates of how many actually use html might be based
on an examination of the headers to determine the MUA used.  However,
since its switchable in most MUA's, I dare say that the members of
this list that actually use html as a default mode probably can be
estimated at under 1%, and thats certainly _not a majority_.

>Don't get me wrong - I personally don't like HTML mail, and I prefer
>bottom posting.  But I refuse to get all lathered up about it when
> some new user top/HTML posts.  I might shoot them a gentle
> explanation of list etiquette.  At worst I'll delete the message. 
> But at no time will I be publicly derogatory towards him/her.  That
> hurts the community.

Agreed, except for posting position, as you can see I intersperse so
that the context of the conversation is preserved.  However, I do
have a certain frustration level for those that quote 3 to 5 pages of
the previous message before replying at the bottom.  Such messages
tend to get skimmed and passed by when there may actualy be a nugget
of knowledge buried in such a post from time to  time.  It should be
possible to scroll the message such that the instant context is
largely onscreen in one view, it tends to make for a more cogent
response, at least from this poster.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
99.30% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly
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by Gene Heskett are:
Copyright 2004 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.




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