On Fri, 29 Mar 2019 00:25:08 -0700 Andrew Kurn <kurn@...3346...> wrote:
On Fri 29 Mar 2019 02:11 -0400, Steve Litt wrote:
This entire thread has apparently been built on misunderstandings, so please be sure not to top post,
While we're at it, what does "top post" mean?
Long story: See :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Top-posting
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Bottom-posting
When the article says interleave style can be combined with top-posting, that's not true in the real world. Only bottom posting is compatible with interleave style.
Interleave style is by far the least ambiguous. Questions are answered immediately below the corresponding question. Words like "it" and "you" and "I disagree" are absolutely unambiguous in interleave posting, whereas they're gobbletygoop in top posting, especially when ten people have responded and their quoted context is still visible.
Top posting is a ball of confusion in a multi party mind meld like a mailing list, but I've mostly surrendered the war to Microsoft and Google and all the vendors whose mail clients automatically top post. Also, top posting (without trimming) is the standard in business communication in order to keep a running log and promote CYA.
But once in a while, when misunderstanding becomes a way of life in a thread, I step in to ask people not to top post.
SteveT