On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 6:37 AM, Deepa Mohan <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I understand all of the above. But I also frequently hear many people > saying > that top-posting is an obsolete practice "which only your silklist friends > follow" as most people look for a response on top, at the beginning of your > email to them and (at least in one famous instance) assume that you have > sent back their mail with no reply at all...until they look below > their...ummm...post. > And that's the crux of it. Borom-posting is eminently rational, but what's the point of communication if it isn't functional? Most people are used to top-posting because that's the default option on all the web-based email services, and so that's what they expect. For regular folk, bottom-posting is WTF, and makes them work harder than they're used to because they have to scroll down. As an analogy, consider QUERTY. It's a massively irrational way to lay out a keyboard, and there are many other configurations that would work better once you get used to them -- but would you really design a keyboard for them? Sure, as Eugen would say, "the idiots are winning." But that's how it is, doh! That said, when you're on a mailing list, you follow the rules laid down by whoever started it. So on Silk and Satin, I go by what Udhay and Madhu want respectively. But otherwise I top-post. -- Amit Varma http://www.indiauncut.com http://www.twitter.com/amitvarma
