Top-posting shenanigans (was: Re: ASR33 $1000+ And Counting...)

From: der Mouse <mouse_at_Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
Date: Thu Feb 24 23:30:25 2005

> ([...] doesn't it seem odd that in all this time, the topic hasn't
> come up? Just a little, folks??)

Well, speaking personally, no. I've gotten sufficiently used to
top-posting that, irritate me though it does, I usually just let it
pass. I assume the others who are irritated by it do likewise.

Emphasis on the "usually".

> Who gives a crap, seemingly out of the blue tonight, how people
> format their email????

Well, again speaking personally, I've always "given a crap". I just
don't usually say anything about it.

> And why does everyone only care to debate this Johnny-come-lately
> passion once someone else starts?

It's almost always easier - at least for me - to say something on a
subject when it is a contribution to an existing discussion than an
isolated message (which of course may *start* a discussion, but that's
later).

> (And while I'm ranting: sure I understand that computerdom has a
> unique language, which I'm highly fluent at, but are Microsoft
> products so offensive that we have to interrupt reader's flow of
> reading an ordinary sentence just so their brains can process
> "Lookout" for "Outlook"?

Partly, yes; partly, it's just another form of linguistic playfulness,
finding distortions of existing terms. See my longish note that talked
about Sapir-Whorf effects....

> Think about it; our buggest enemy in -- gasp -- real is Mr. Osama bin
> Laden,

...?? Whose "our" is this? I am far more scared by George W. Bush, or
more precisely by whoever's hands are on his strings, than I am by
Osama bin Laden. (The reasons are perhaps worth discussing, but this
is probably not the place for that discussion.)

> yet we manage to speak his name without feeling the need to contort
> it.

We do? I've seen enough siglines saying things like "rm /bin/laden"
that I'm not at all convinced of that. Or perhaps this is the "we"
that corresponds to your "our" above?

There's also more opportunity; I also see Outlook mentioned a lot more
than bin Laden. Presumably if this were a political list instead of a
computer list that might be the other way around.

> But I suppose you bottom-poster militants would insist that bin
> Laden's not the threat that Bill Gates is?)

I'm not sure whether I think bottom-posting is worse than top-posting
or the other way around. I actually prefer *inline* posting, with
quoted text edited down to only what's relevant.

And as for who's a threat, well, I have opinions on that matter, but
them too this is not the place to air. (I wouldn't mention them at all
except that in this context, silence on that point is likely to be
mistaken for assent.)

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Received on Thu Feb 24 2005 - 23:30:25 GMT