on 11/9/11 3:32 PM, Pete Forsyth at peteforsyth@gmail.com wrote:
Along this line, Risker, which form of posting is preferred in the Lists; posting below the person you are responding to (as I am doing here); or posting above it? I've seen it done both ways.
Marc
Marc,
This could get fun -- more virtual ink has been spilled on the "top-post" vs. "bottom-post" debate about mailing lists than on most topics :)
In my opinion, both are useful tools. For a detail-oriented discussion, especially if several people are participating, putting your comments below the prior post -- or weaving individual points in where they belong -- can be the easiest to follow. In other cases, if what you're seeking to do is reply broadly to the overall message(s) sent before, top-posting may work better. (But if a certain approach has already taken hold within a discussion, it's often less confusing if you follow the example of those before you.)
Above all, I try to keep in mind how it will appear to the reader, and make sure I'm presenting myself as clearly as possible. So I'd say, case-by-case, and, as Risker says, trim stuff that is not essential to your point.
Hope that helps! -Pete
Good points, Pete. Differentiating between specific and general responses makes the most sense.
Thanks, Marc