Re: [Pan-users] Re: clearing headers?

[Travis]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven D'Aprano" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 20:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Pan-users] Re: clearing headers?


On Sat, 4 Oct 2008 04:12:23 am Travis wrote:
> Linux defaults to HTML and top posting. Shame shame on Linux.

Linux is an operating system, not a mail client. If you're going to
pretend to be all superior and wise, shame on you for not knowing the
difference.

I know Linux is an operating system.  I assumed the mail client used with it 
would act in a manner acceptable to the world of Linux users.

And speaking of failing to follow accepted standards for email, if
you're going to chastise others for breaking accepted standards, you
better damn well make sure you're not breaking them yourself.

(1) Your replies are broken as you claim that your text is part of
the "original message". Your reply follows the following format:

Header line: "----- Original Message ----- "
Selected headers from the original message
Quoted text of the original message
Your reply embedded at the bottom of the original message.

The original message was not quoted, why do you claim it was? Your
response was not part of the original message, why do you claim it is?

I don't see what you receive.  I made no claims about anything.

(2) Bottom posting can be just as obnoxious as top posting, especially
when you quote 38 lines of the original only to add a single line at
the very end. That's known as a Metoobe, or "AOL! AOL!" from the habit
of AOLers who reply to posts in their entirety only to add a single
line (often "Me too!") at the end.

The polite thing to do is to trim the text you are replying to to remove
extraneous text, leaving enough to establish context, and interleave
your response between the lines you are replying to as if it were a
conversation.

I frequently trim/snip my replies.


Having said all that, there's something to be said for the old rule that
says that in polite society, the only unforgivable faux pas is to
comment on somebody else's faux pas. A gentleman should be able to make
himself at home in *any* society, even Verizon users or Usenet. (The
rule didn't apply to ladies, who were imagined to be delicate little
flowers, but the Victorians were funny like that.) So while I encourage
you to do the right thing, it's not like the world will come to an end
if you don't.

You are correct.
--
Travis in Shoreline Washington