On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 9:48 AM, Barclay, Daniel
<daniel@fgm.com> wrote:
Christofer C. Bell wrote:
> Mail 1: Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
> Mail 2: A: Top-posting.
> Mail 3: Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
> Mail 4: A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read
> text.
Wrong. Since when does even a threaded mail reader rearrange the content
within a single message into a different order?
It doesn't, and you're splitting hairs. In a threaded mail reader, I've just read the previous post, there is zero need to provide context. This is what it looks like in a threaded mail reader when you're bottom posting:
What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
> What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
Top-posting.
>> What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
> Top-posting.
Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
>>> What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
>> Top-posting.
> Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
This sort of display is annoying. You've already seen what it looks like when top-posted in a modern mail reader (ie; it follows the order in which people normally read text).
Chris's example showed the order of replies in a message constructed with
top-posting. Are you trying to win your argument by trying to pull a
fast one (by switching to talking about the order in the message-list
pane instead of the message), or do you just not understand Chris's example?
The most common arguments for bottom-posting are based on the mail reader people are using, "but without context in my non-threaded, written in 1980 mail reader, I can't tell what the post is about." So obviously, what people are using to read their mail is germane to the discussion. In a modern mail reader, top-posted messages are what flow more naturally.
A more successful argument for your position would be to point to mail archives where an entire discussion needs to be preserved in a logical order contained in a single post. Continuing to point to an active discussion thread as proof that top posting is illogical... is illogical. You are doing nothing more than pandering the to the pedantic.
I understand the other Chris' example just fine. Do you understand mine?