Top Posting Makes The Theoanthropos Cry

Jeff Wilson · 28 Aug 2006, 05:21 · from 2006-August.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 00:21:22 -0500
Subject: (urth) Top Posting Makes The Theoanthropos Cry
In-Reply-To: <1f7617370608272203p3d604840hd2b6869e6548b148 at mail.gmail.com>
References: <44F1FF19.2000904 at io.com>
	<1f7617370608272203p3d604840hd2b6869e6548b148 at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <44F27D52.3060508 at io.com>

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:

> 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.

When would people *need* to write a coherent reply without coinscribing 
or interleaving, or just plain bottom posting like I'm doing now?

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