[OT] Top posting is a PITA

[Mike Pelletier]

I find it surprising to see programmers arguing for top-posting.  They
are arguing that exchanging the single author's time and brain cycles
for the time and cycles of many readers is a good trade-off.  Perhaps
they just feel their time is infinitely more valuable than anyone
else's.  I'm sure every top-poster present can think of vendors who
work from the point of view that their time and effort is more
valuable than the user's.  The result of this philosophy is alienating
to users of software AND articles.

Didier Morandi said that the greatest reason for posting is so one may
"get help or information".  I don't think that's really so, I think
that sould be further generalized to, one posts to communicate.  If
one's goal is to communicate (perhaps to communicate a question, but
whatever), why wouldn't one stress clarity to the reader above
convenience to the author?

Top-posting is a mildly offensive presumption viewed in this light,
like telemarketing or squeegee kids.

Mike.