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Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 23:27:27 -0400
Message-Id: <200407240327.i6O3RRWN020369@envy.delorie.com>
From: DJ Delorie <dj AT delorie DOT com>
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
In-reply-to: <4101d23f$0$177$cc7c7865@news.luth.se> (message from Martin
	Str|mberg on 24 Jul 2004 03:06:39 GMT)
Subject: Re: top posting
References: <ZtDJc.129847$wH4 DOT 7032125 AT twister DOT southeast DOT rr DOT com> <003e01c46b01$84546800$0d01a8c0 AT josepmariaxp> <3pCLc.170124$tH1 DOT 6880991 AT twister DOT southeast DOT rr DOT com> <41012fe1$0$172$cc7c7865 AT news DOT luth DOT se> <UFhMc.194539$2o2 DOT 9989476 AT twister DOT southeast DOT rr DOT com> <4101b619$0$175$cc7c7865 AT news DOT luth DOT se> <200407240128 DOT i6O1SYjn018665 AT envy DOT delorie DOT com> <4101ca01$0$177$cc7c7865 AT news DOT luth DOT se> <200407240251 DOT i6O2pkQc019829 AT envy DOT delorie DOT com> <4101d23f$0$177$cc7c7865 AT news DOT luth DOT se>
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I'm continuing this off-topic conversation because it's interesting,
and marginally relevent to the djgpp forum, but let's not let it drag
on too long as it's not that important here.  I'm saying this because
I needed an example of a time where top-posting makes sense ;-)

> Yes. But then there is honest opinion that you should NOT top post if
> you know what you're doing, which I don't mind telling people.

If you know what you're doing, you don't need the advice - the text
goes where it makes sense in the conversation (like my first
paragraph).  My rule of thumb is to put replies immediately after what
I'm replying to, when it's a direct reply like that.  Unrelated text
in the same message would go on top, as if I said that in person
before getting to the replies.

The problem with bottom posting happens when you don't trim the quoted
text enough.  Blind readers are forced to wait through the untrimmed
text before they hear the reply.  They end up listening to the same
quoted text over and over again as they go through the messages.

> Ok. But now it looks like I've managed to get ">  " (two spaces).

I think the '>' is more important than the spaces following it, but
might as well fiddle with it now while you're thinking about it (your
second message looked right).  You can use the djgpp mail archives to
see your message from the "other side" if needed (but please don't use
the djgpp forum to test your software; use one of the *.test groups
like alt.test for that).