Top Posting Makes The Theoanthropos Cry

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 28 Aug 2006, 05:03 · from 2006-August.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 22:03:31 -0700
Subject: (urth) Top Posting Makes The Theoanthropos Cry
In-Reply-To: <44F1FF19.2000904 at io.com>
References: <44F1FF19.2000904 at io.com>
Message-ID: <1f7617370608272203p3d604840hd2b6869e6548b148 at mail.gmail.com>

Jeff,

I top-post, as a general rule, only when I don't think there's
a need for interleaving (an ugly word; I coined the word
"coinscription" to describe the way we write inside each
others' texts in email/mailing lists, and will take this
oppty to plug it). As a general rule, I try to write such notes
so that no context is required and cut the original out
completely -- as here; but sometimes I forget to cut it.

And sometimes, considering that, due to the vagiaries
of  mailing programs and such, some may see the reply
before the original, I'll deliberately leave the original
below to provide that context. But it's usually just a mistake
(forgetting or laziness), since I believe that the coinscriptive
style is causing many people to forget how to write a
coherent reply without coinscribing.

I'll try to be better about it.

-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
-----
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
"Shovels are essential to the fantasy genre.
However, they are primarily used by the authors rather than the
characters." -- Stephen R. Donaldson

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