It has come to my attention that there are participants here
who condemn the practice of "top-posting" (i.e., placing the
response ahead of the question), as in:

A: No
Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?

I must confess that I do this all the time, under the
rationalization that somebody reading down the thread has
already read the question, and shouldn't need to re-read it
in order to get to my answer.

Further, I will frequently cut off or seriously abbreviate
the question, to just the specific issue I hope to address.

O.K. so this is offensive. But, I ain't going to quit.

Here's an easy remedy. If you don't like my habit of
"top-posting" then just filter out my postings, and all my
annoying violations of netiquette will just disappear.

cheers, jw

Re: Confessions of a "Top-Poster" (ugh!)... by Ray

Ray
Thu Feb 17 11:08:06 CST 2005

This is another one of those debates that will just never die. I have to
agree with you completely, in that you have made a logical conclusion as to
what you think makes more sense, and that's what you've decided to do. So
no side will ever win, since both sides have valid and invalid points,
you're right. Just do what makes sense to you.

Ray at work

"mr_unreliable" <kindlyReplyToNewsgroup@notmail.com> wrote in message
news:uzq7xIRFFHA.3336@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> It has come to my attention that there are participants here
> who condemn the practice of "top-posting" (i.e., placing the
> response ahead of the question), as in:
>
> A: No
> Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?
>
> I must confess that I do this all the time, under the
> rationalization that somebody reading down the thread has
> already read the question, and shouldn't need to re-read it
> in order to get to my answer.
>
> Further, I will frequently cut off or seriously abbreviate
> the question, to just the specific issue I hope to address.
>
> O.K. so this is offensive. But, I ain't going to quit.
>
> Here's an easy remedy. If you don't like my habit of
> "top-posting" then just filter out my postings, and all my
> annoying violations of netiquette will just disappear.
>
> cheers, jw



Re: Confessions of a "Top-Poster" (ugh!)... by Stimp

Stimp
Thu Feb 17 11:35:41 CST 2005

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 Ray Costanzo [MVP] <> wrote:
> This is another one of those debates that will just never die. I have to
> agree with you completely, in that you have made a logical conclusion as to
> what you think makes more sense, and that's what you've decided to do. So
> no side will ever win, since both sides have valid and invalid points,
> you're right. Just do what makes sense to you.
>
> Ray at work

I disagree

--

"I hear ma train a comin'
... hear freedom comin"

Re: Confessions of a "Top-Poster" (ugh!)... by mr_unreliable

mr_unreliable
Thu Feb 17 11:46:03 CST 2005

Ouch! Ray, you "top-posted" on top of ME!!!

cheers, jw

Ray Costanzo [MVP] wrote:
> This is another one of those debates that will just never die.

Re: Confessions of a "Top-Poster" (ugh!)... by Csaba2000

Csaba2000
Thu Feb 17 12:38:16 CST 2005

I'm going to disagree, too. I believe that the top posters will 'win'
(Yes folks, you heard it here (but perhaps not first)), and here's why:
Google. Yep, check it out, google is (well, it will be) a wonderful
newsreader and filing cabinet. You don't lose your old posts with
google, they're pretty much all there. You could even reply to a
forgotten thread, and you don't have Outlook/Express security issues.

But what about top posting? Well, that's the form that Outlook and
Google "suggest". Plus, detailed investigation has led me to conclude
that it's more efficient in any case.

Eventually, there will be enough people defecting over to the top
poster side, that it will be the bottom posters who will be on the
receiving end of nasty comments. And that's when I dust off
some really ancient threads for replying...

Tremble and quake,
Csaba Gabor


"Ray Costanzo [MVP]" <my first name at lane 34 dot commercial> wrote in
message news:u5c3ANRFFHA.3284@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> This is another one of those debates that will just never die. I have to
> agree with you completely, in that you have made a logical conclusion as
> to
> what you think makes more sense, and that's what you've decided to do. So
> no side will ever win, since both sides have valid and invalid points,
> you're right. Just do what makes sense to you.
>
> Ray at work
>
> "mr_unreliable" <kindlyReplyToNewsgroup@notmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uzq7xIRFFHA.3336@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> It has come to my attention that there are participants here
>> who condemn the practice of "top-posting" (i.e., placing the
>> response ahead of the question), as in:
>>
>> A: No
>> Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?
>>
>> I must confess that I do this all the time, under the
>> rationalization that somebody reading down the thread has
>> already read the question, and shouldn't need to re-read it
>> in order to get to my answer.
>>
>> Further, I will frequently cut off or seriously abbreviate
>> the question, to just the specific issue I hope to address.
>>
>> O.K. so this is offensive. But, I ain't going to quit.
>>
>> Here's an easy remedy. If you don't like my habit of
>> "top-posting" then just filter out my postings, and all my
>> annoying violations of netiquette will just disappear.
>>
>> cheers, jw
>
>



Re: Confessions of a "Top-Poster" (ugh!)... by Michael

Michael
Thu Feb 17 20:20:03 CST 2005

I must confess...I was once a top-poster who succumbed years ago to public
pressure to cease and desist ;-)...

Perhaps I'll show more chutzpah and revert to my evil ways <g>!

I have no issue with either style myself, provided that bottom-posters have
the courtesy to trim the original content (or as Dr. John Stockton would say
"eschew surplusage"!).

--
Michael Harris
Microsoft MVP Scripting
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Sammamish%20WA%20US



Re: Confessions of a "Top-Poster" (ugh!)... by Roland

Roland
Thu Feb 17 22:12:48 CST 2005

I doubt I would plonk anyone for top posting however, I may choose to ignore
the post because it makes it more difficult for a long discussion since I
often trim and mix my responses within theirs. That's more of an irritation
than it is an offense. If you're offering help, not much can be done if
they want the help. If you're asking for help, you may limit your audience
but then you wouldn't be unique, which of course you may not be anyway.
(O:=

: Here's an easy remedy. If you don't like my habit of
: "top-posting" then just filter out my postings, and all my
: annoying violations of netiquette will just disappear.

I do have one question... What if someone just chose to respond in no order
whatsoever, perhaps even putting trailing sentences first and mixing it all
up? Would it offend you? Nah, might irritate the hell out of you though.

"mr_unreliable" wrote in message
news:uzq7xIRFFHA.3336@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
: It has come to my attention that there are participants here
: who condemn the practice of "top-posting" (i.e., placing the
: response ahead of the question), as in:
:
: A: No

And if someone came into the conversation late and certain information is
trimmed and top and bottom posted with interleaved
responses, it's a nightmare but as you said, your thread, you don't care.

: Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?

It's not that top posting is bad although you'd never read a book that was
written that way, would you? It's that if everyone in the thread doesn't do
it the same, that is when it gets very confusing.

: I must confess that I do this all the time, under the
: rationalization that somebody reading down the thread has
: already read the question, and shouldn't need to re-read it
: in order to get to my answer.

Why repeat something you're not referencing?

: Further, I will frequently cut off or seriously abbreviate
: the question, to just the specific issue I hope to address.


: O.K. so this is offensive. But, I ain't going to quit.

You're your own man.

MSDN Library - http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp
WSH 5.6 Documentation - http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/list/webdev.asp
Technet Script Center - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/
/* This information is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
without any warranty; without even the implied warranty of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose. */
Roland Hall
--

If I didn't tell you, would it matter?
Can you tell this last part was written from bottom to top?
If you're going to truly top post, then shouldn't you top everything with
the following?
Would it make it harder to help someone?
What if it was written from the bottom when shown and then each statement
was on top of the preceding one?
How is code written?
After all, the browsers don't conform strictly to standards and how
irritating is that for developers?
But, not all conform to standards, and perhaps it is more often the rarity
than the norm?!
I think it would be very confusing and is why we have found, at least in
this industry, that standards help make it easier for everyone.
Would it be confusing?
Would that be irritating?
What if all their sentences started at the bottom and then the following
sentence was actually on top of that?

Is it confusing yet?



Re: Confessions of a "Top-Poster" (ugh!)... by Ray

Ray
Fri Feb 18 13:04:07 CST 2005

Exactly.

Ray at work

"Stimp" <ren@spumco.com> wrote in message
news:slrnd19lfn.q19.ren@carbon.redbrick.dcu.ie...

> > This is another one of those debates that will just never die.


> I disagree