Re: Top posting
Hal Vaughan wrote:
> On Thursday 09 June 2005 05:26 pm, Alex Malinovich wrote:
> > On Thu, 2005-06-09 at 22:06 +0100, Graham Smith wrote:
[snip]
> > I would argue that top-posters fall into the same category as most users
> > of proprietary software. They are too lazy expend a bit of effort to
> > benefit their fellow man. Bottom-posting makes reading easier for those
> > who haven't followed an entire thread. Much in the same way that users
> > of proprietary software are too lazy to find, support, or write a free
> > alternative that would benefit all of mankind.
[snip[
> That's the most self-serving, self-centered, one-sided point of view I've read
> on any tech list in years. In 3 paragraphs, you manage to insult users of
> proprietary software a number of ways, calling them self centered over and
> over, and say how FOSS people are more world oriented and less self-centered.
>
> Yet, while you are going on and on calling others self-centered, you are
> totally incapable of seeing how "Me! Me! Me!" your point of view is. As long
> as people follow your rules, they are open minded. People who don't are
> closed minded. So does it not occur to you that many people think
> differently than you, so top posting may work better for you?
[snip]
Yes, and many people could choose to believe that Mars is closer to the
Sun than the Earth, yet it would not make it true, would it?
Bottom-posting plus trimming _is_ the Good Thing to do, period. It is
not a matter of preferences. It is not a matter of your social
background, your language, your religion or your pet's name. Opinions
are like... well, everyone has one. But when talking about facts,
either something is true or it is not. Someone's opinion about a fact
is not worth as much as some other's one. Simply one is right, and the
other one is wrong, and millions of people preaching the wrong thing
don't make it right, just as the right thing is not so because some
others support it. The right thing is the right thing.
You can top-post out of selfishness or laziness, and you might be
forgiven. But don't try to sell us that you "made the great effort" of
top-posting because you thought that "it was much more readable an
generally nicer" to others.
Supporting top-posting because you either follow the threads (and don't
need the context) or don't read them at all (so the text of the very
last message can help you choose to skip the thread), is, actually,
very selfish.
Firstly, if you don't need the context to follow a thread, then don't
support top-posting, and instead support an absolute lack of quotes
(after all, if they are not needed, why make people with limited access
to the internet needlessly download them?).
Secondly, as many others have mentioned, you are disregarding the
many-many people that can, and will, reach the post when surfing the
net looking for some specific information (or not), and (correct)
bottom-posting can save their day. Or even people reading the list only
occasionally... it is better for everyone!
Just my 2 euro cents,
Basajaun
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