[pmwiki-users] please don't use formatted email

Hans design at softflow.co.uk
Fri Apr 14 02:22:23 CDT 2006


Friday, April 14, 2006, 12:08:36 AM, DaveG wrote:
> I actually prefer top-posted replies, or embedded replies. No scrolling
> required (I use Thunderbird). Not sure how other clients represent 
> top/bottom posts.

I find top-posted replies a nuisance. What is the point of quoting the
entire previous post, including the included previous posts? And what
is the point of quoting it underneath ones reply? It is all back to
front. And I am required to scroll down, just to make sure I do not
miss a personal answer/comment further down. How would I know that
there will be no further comment down the page? Perhaps a line warning
can be put after the real message:
What follows is the quoted previous message and can safely be ignored!

But then I think it is much better to turn this automatic inclusion of
the previous message off, and learn to quote only relevant passages
and answer to each point straight underneath it.

I think email clients are representing top/bottom posts just as that:
if you have the habit of top posting and including previous messages
underneath then it will show it just that way in all clients.


> It seems to me that peoples preferences for email, top or bottom 
> replies, even HTML to some extent, are dictated by choice of email 
> client. The reality is we all use different clients, and so will all
> want different things.

Unfortunately Microsoft has institutionalised this annoying behaviour
by making it default to always include the previous message underneath
in a reply, and to use html formatted email as default too.
This could be viewed as a kind of dictation, but it can be turned off.
Modern email software usually leaves you with choices, so it is up to
you what kind of email you sent.


Best,
 Hans                           





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