[arch-general] Top Posting Revisited

[Rafa Griman]

HI :)

On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 4:47 AM, Ralf Mardorf
<ralf.mardorf at alice-dsl.net> wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: arch-general-bounces at archlinux.org on behalf of Calvin Morrison
> Sent: Fri 12/16/2011 04:21
> To: General Discussion about Arch Linux
> Subject: Re: [arch-general] Top Posting Revisited

[...]

> I'm from the Ruhrgebiet, here we don't care much about netiquette.
> Do we really need rules and rules and rules?


IMHO, they're not rules as in "laws", but as in: respect for others.
Just like you open a door when you see someone with a pram or you see
them carrying a bunch of bags. Those are not written rules or laws,
... but they are "respect" rules.


> +1 for bottom posting but I'm completely against instructing people
> not to post as it's common on business correspondence.
>
> We are the freaks. Today nearly everybody is using HTML and top posting
> at least in Germany is what averaged people do.


Here in Spain it's the same: everyone top posts HTML ... <sigh>. But
that doesn't mean it is correct, it should be done or is acceptable.
It's like going to England and saying: "I don't care if they drive on
the left side. In Spain we drive on the right so I'm going to drive on
the right side." Yes, top-posting on certain mailing lists can be just
as dangerous ;)

OK, let's go with a "less dangerous" example. If I go to a friends
house and they take off their shoes, I should do the same. It's not my
house and it's a sign of respect and education to that person. Same
here. We are going somewhere as a guest, so we should accept their
"customs", "unwritten rules" or whatever you want to call them. We
shouldn't impose our own.

If someone is selfish enough and does not want to accept those rules
... he can go somewhere else and establish his own rules. He's free to
do that and should not worry: we will not go to his mailing list and
bottom post just to annoy him and take revenge. In fact, we probably
won't even go to his mailing list ;) And that's OK: his mailing list,
his rules.

It's not about being radical, it's about being organized, respectful,
... There's always a side case or someone that "forgets", some MUA
that's a bit crappy, ... If so, we should notify this person in an
educated way, if he insists and ignores all the warnings ... he should
be ignored too (just like he ignores us). He won't recieve answers
(support?) to his questions, as simple as that.

   Rafa