[BangPypers] [OT] Guido's Tweet on Top Posting

[Kenneth Gonsalves]

On Friday 11 Sep 2009 11:00:41 am Kenneth Gonsalves wrote:
> On Friday 11 Sep 2009 10:54:27 am srid wrote:
> > >From Wikipedia:
> >
> > """
> > Objections to top-posting on newsgroups, as a rule, seem to come from
> > persons who first went online in the earlier days of Usenet, and in
> > communities that date to Usenet's early days. Until the mid-90s,
> > top-posting was unknown and interleaved posting an obvious standard
> > that all net.newcomers had to learn. Among the most vehement
> > communities are those in the Usenet comp.lang hierarchy, especially
> > comp.lang.c and comp.lang.c++. Top-posting is more tolerated on the
> > alt hierarchy. Newer online participants, especially those with
> > limited experience of Usenet, tend to be less sensitive to arguments
> > about posting style.
> > """
>
> BS

why? in the first place I am extremely sensitive to top posting, but have never 
used usenet or been in a C forum. I only learned about interleaved posting in 
about 2002 or so. And the vast majority of people online now have similar 
experience to mine. And also the vast majority of top posters do so not out of 
choice, but because they are not aware of the benefits of inter leaved posting. 
And if they are gently reminded of this, they take to it like ducks to water. 
Therefore 'Newer online participants, especially those with
 limited experience of Usenet, tend to be less sensitive to arguments about 
posting style.' is sheer BS. The majority of people online are just as 
sensitive to arguments about good manners as the old timers. The only thing is 
that they are ignorant.

another reason is that applications like gmail appear to be extremely clever 
in hiding unnecessary material so people are not aware of the horrible mess 
they are making of the archives by top posting.

btw, I am not talking of the general non-IT mailing lists.
-- 
regards
Kenneth Gonsalves
Associate
NRC-FOSS
http://nrcfosshelpline.in/web/