Re: Top posting
On Monday 13 June 2005 02:36 pm, Steve Lamb wrote:
> Because we're not playing Jeopardy.
>
> Why is top-posting wrong?
>
> Put up top for the top posters who are too lazy to do it right.
Cute. Just so cute and original. I don't think I've seen that before -- in
this thread -- today -- in the past few hours.
> Hal Vaughan wrote:
> > It is not a strawman argument.
>
> It is.
It is a metaphor. In both cases, groups have set themselves up as the
authority on what is right and wrong, whether it is a technical or moral
argument.
> > My point is that you have put yourself in a position to say, "This is
> > right," you are making an absolute moral judgement for all people and all
> > time.
>
> Top posting vs. bottom posting vs. interspersing is not a moral
> judgement. It is a *technical discussion* much in the same way that there
> is a right and wrong way to write English. For example there are rules on
> where punctuation is placed when using quotation marks.
No, it isn't a moral judgement. That is correct. And yes, it is a
discussion, with that being the operative word, yet it isn't a technical
discussion where one side has empirical proof, such as whether the Sun orbits
the Earth or the Earth orbits the Sun. What I've noticed is that those in
favor generally are saying understanding and tolerating different ways is
appropriate, while those against are saying, "this works, it makes sense, and
it's right," without opening the door (which I've mentioned a few times) that
many people process information in different ways. I've basically seen
arguments that say that style makes it easy for one group to read, so that
makes it right.
> > Just like those who said their music was right and others were wrong,
>
> Musical tastes are subjective although one could make some pretty
> convincing arguments on the relative merits of Mozart (the mathematical
> structure of his music) vs. the lack of merits of pretty much the entire
> gansta rap genre (rhyming poetry which is 99% about the author and his
> mostly fictional deeds and virlity). ;)
Information processing is also quite subjective. I learned that in a decade
of dealing with the learning disabled. That's the point I've been driving
toward for this whole thread, but everyone that has one way of looking at
things is so sure they are right, they are literally unable to see another
point of view, or even dare to consider it.
<snip>
> > In other words, you are either incapable of, or refuse to understand that
> > your view, as for all of us, is relative and subjective.
>
> Bzt. Nice try, no cigar. I have yet to see one blasted reason why top
> posting is technically valid outside of having to address the technical
> screw-ups of the authors of some piece of software. NONE. I don't say
> that because of some namby-pampy "I don't accept your subjective view". I
> say it because they can be shot down.
I've given several. But this seems to be more and more a case where those
that don't like top posting basically ignore whatever doesn't support them.
Hal
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