OT: Top-posting (WAS:How can i use rpm to retrive..)

[Ben Davis]

Om 00:20-0500 vandaag, cochranb at speakeasy.net [RLC] schreef...

>Top posting is used in a lot of mailing lists, numerous organizations, 
>and millions of individuals as routine. There just isn't the time to 
>fuss over the perfect placement of each and every word in an email. 

We're not talking about the perfect placement of _every_ word. We're talking
about an accepted norm for email that's been around since early days on
Fidonet (pre 1985) Echomail-type newsgroups. Quoting should be done _sparsely_
and reply only to the parts of a mail you need to.

>large group of highly paid people, the preference is to accept the 
>default settings of the email client picked by the IT department, and 
>the default settings are for top posting. In the even larger group of 
>not so well paid people, the default settings of the email client are 
>accepted without question because that is The Way It Is.

Why? It only takes a second to do a 'page-down' or whatever, we're not talking
rocket science here... the 'default settings' of the email client are often
wrong, so a little hand editing is required. I suppose I spent an extra 5
seconds formatting this email, whereas it took me more than 2 mins to write.

Lets compare this to writing a letter.. in your hypothetical group of 'highly
paid' people, would they simply accept the default template which leaves the
name and address/date printed across the letterhead, or would they take the
time to ensure the output is professional and neat?

When sending an email to a list you are *publishing*. Sending an email to a
contact privately is very different to newsgroups/lists... feel free to
continue top-posting in those cases.

>So top posting has an enormous installed client base. Top posting is 
>very much in favor in the world.

Bullsh!t. Top posting came about because a lot of people suddenly started
using email, without understanding 'netequitte'<sp>. Your comment could be
paralleled to saying 'dropping litter has an enormous client based' because
nobody can find a waste bin any more.. does this mean it's ok to drop litter?
BTW, top posting is frowned upon, and the subject of many flame wars on the
newsgroups.

>I myself do what most people do: accept the default mail settings and 
>get my email out the door because I have other things to do with my life.

Even if you disagree with my comments, look at the formatting of my email. Is
it not easier to follow what I'm talking about, replying to individual
points... if I'd simply top-posted, _you'd_ 'get it', but would the other
readers of the list know what I was on about?

Change the default settings. If not, change yourself.

>> http://www.axbom.se/writing/articles/mlnetiquette.php for some details.
>> Another one on http://www.woodgate.org/FAQs/netiquette.html. And please

-- 
e: jamin.davis at mail.ee
@ Tallinn, EE