[meteorite-list] Please edit messages

[Darren Garrison]

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 19:36:13 -0800, you wrote:


>> From: Darren Garrison <cynapse at charter.net>
>> Reply-To: cynapse at charter.net
>> Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 22:22:11 -0500
>> To: <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Please edit messages
>> 
>> Top posting is generally looked on rather negatively.
>
>Darren,
>
>Why?
>

Because the reason for quoting threads is to give a snippet of the ongoing conversation as a
"refresher" and to show what information you are replying to.  For instance, I had to edit this post
and add your response to the bottom so that the flow of the thread will be correct.  And ESPECIALLY
when you want to respond to more than one point in a post do you need to quote the line you are
responding to and then reply below it.  You wouldn't bunch the answers to several items together at
the very top without context while leaving the questions bunched at the bottom, would you?  Well,
then you shouldn't when answering ONE question-- the difference is in number only, not in type. 
And if you make the assumption that everyone knows what you are replying to, then there is no point
in quoting anything at all.

I don't know about the long-term etiquitte on this mailing list (as I haven't subscribed for very
long) but I have been on Usenet newsgroups for going on a decade now.  And in Usenet, militant
top-posters go in my killfile.