Peter wrote:
> I just checked my Shop Help post and found it had formatted as a
> TopPost. Knowing how some people detest this practise I am asking if it
> is possible to Bottom Post with OE and if so how? Thanks.
I'm glad you brought this up. I _was_ unfamiliar with the terms "top
post" and "bottom post" until this thread enlightened me. A couple of
quick comments:
1) I chose to top post when a thread was fairly new, especially if the
original post was fairly short. Even if excerpting (trimming) the
OP, unless I was taking a very specific point out of context, I
didn't think it added value to simply repeat the OP's words--again,
_unless_ those words needed to come before my post to ensure my
reference was clear;
2) Even when a thread had ambled on a page or two, unless--as they sooo
often do--the posts are going _way_ off topic, I was sort of taking
the position that the topic was the topic, and that top-posting saved
readers from endless variations on the same theme. In other words, if
the topic is "puncture proof tires," and the thread hasn't yet turned
into some battle about gun control, I would typically choose either
to top post (e.g., "Use liners.") or to post without quoting.
3) Despite some pretty rational arguments that I've heard for the evil
of top posting, I happen to find it simpler and quicker to read a
string of top posts. It allows me to quickly scan below to decide if
the context that I assumed was, indeed correct.
I was always under the impression that these NG's were to be
relatively conversational. If a conversation is ongoing, then most of
its ongoing participants don't need every prior statement repeated.
Those new to the conversation can catch up quickly with a little extra
scrolling and scanning. Again, this falls apart when the posters go
4,000 miles off topic.
My take: top posting is a poor technique for those who won't/don't
appropriately excerpt messages. It almost seems to me that--if you
do a 'proper' job with your snips--reading top posting (on topic)
moves quicker.
4) Bottom line (for me): if the majority of people--for legitimate reasons--
disdain top posting, I'll switch lickety-split. Not so big a deal for
me that it's worth offending the masses. I can do that in many, many
other ways
Neil
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