Top posting

[Rob M]

Forgive me if I am out of line here.  I am new to FreeBSD and this list, I 
have been using both for about a week now after being with Windows since 3.1.  
I have always been a top poster and a bottom feeder, I have never known it 
was a big deal and every environment I have been in has top posted.  

I have been weary of posting as I dont want to irritate anyone by asking  
something that is most likely simple to many of you.  I RTFM but just dont 
get it sometimes so I lurk here and see if there is anything that pertains to 
me or I go on the web and find it that way.  So far it has worked.

Something struck a chord with me so I need clarification.

On Sunday 21 March 2004 08:54 pm, Michael W. Oliver wrote:

> What I find comical about this topic (and it never ceases to recur every
> few months) is that the clueless who post, asking for clue, refuse to
> accept pointers on something so simple as email etiquette from the same
> people they assume will provide clue on so many other more complex
> issues!

This seems arrogant to me, though it could be just that it is e-mail and I 
cant see the person typing on the other end.  Also, if I am asking a question 
about something I am having a hard time with then I would like an answer to 
it, not pointers on something so simple as email etiquette from the same 
person that is providing me a clue on my complex issue.  If I wanted to be 
instructed on e-mail etiquette I would have asked.

Dont take that last comment out of line, I am sure with all of the same 
answers you give over and over again that trying to get things in an even 
format would be nice.  But it is part of the reason I am uneasy about asking 
a question, not only do I feel ignorant because I am asking what is most 
likely an easy question but I might irk someone if I dont format it in the 
form of a question.

Secondly;
>
> In the end, why not just write like you speak?  In a verbal
> conversation, each party speaks in turn (in-line replies), provided they
> have something worthwhile to say on the given subject (trimming what
> isn't relevant), otherwise they keep their pie-hole shut (don't reply at
> all). 

When I speak I dont give them back the same thing they just said to me and 
then my reply, I just reply to them.  This means that in an e-mail I would 
click reply, delete everything on the page, type my response and send it.  At 
least it isn't a top post though, maybe we should just "only post".

Sorry for the book.  By the way, I have gleaned something from all of you that 
have posted.  Michael, I hope you don't feel like I am picking on you or 
calling you out.  I am the new guy here and dont know how things work here, 
smack me and show me the way it should be here and I will comply.

For the first time in an email I didnt top post.......entirely.

-- 
Rob