1 |
Gavin Seddon posted <1134389659.10966.6.camel@linuxstation>, excerpted |
2 |
below, on Mon, 12 Dec 2005 12:14:19 +0000: |
3 |
|
4 |
> I thought comments should be posted at the top of the rply so users |
5 |
> don't have to scroll thru' endless postings to reach the necessary |
6 |
> 'bit'. |
7 |
|
8 |
That's the point about trimming the quote to only that to which you are |
9 |
replying, not the whole "endless postings" thing, several levels of quotes |
10 |
deep. =8^) |
11 |
|
12 |
While there are exceptions, a general rule of thumb is that if you are |
13 |
quoting more than a page of previous content before your first bit of |
14 |
reply, you are quoting too much. While folks use different sized displays |
15 |
and pages on those displays, the idea is that your first bit of reply will |
16 |
be on the first page of a reasonably sized page display. If you find you |
17 |
are much beyond that, then you are either trying to reply to too many |
18 |
points at once (instead of each within context, so point-1-quote, reply, |
19 |
point-2-quote, reply, etc). Alternatively, if it's /still/ way to much |
20 |
quote, sometimes it's best to summarize in your own words (fewer than in |
21 |
the original quote) what you would have quoted. This is traditionally |
22 |
still marked with the > quote mark, but with the summary then in brackets, |
23 |
like so: |
24 |
|
25 |
> Direct quoted part [and a bit of summary] of a longer quote. |
26 |
|
27 |
Do it right, and with exceptions such as error message quotes or the |
28 |
like that you can't properly edit or summarize without losing context, |
29 |
you will normally have roughly a paragraph or two of quote, followed by |
30 |
your reply, possibly followed with more quote and reply, but seldom more |
31 |
than a page of quote at a time, so very seldom is the reader out of sight |
32 |
of reply content you've written yourself. (Again, screen and window size |
33 |
differ. Obviously, it'll often be several pages if someone's trying to |
34 |
read it on the typical mobile phone display! =8^) |
35 |
|
36 |
Here's one reference (which lists others at the bottom). |
37 |
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/gey_stv0.htm |
38 |
|
39 |
As he makes clear, it's considered quite rude to fully quote a 5-page |
40 |
article, with a single line reply, /either/ top or bottom. If netiquette |
41 |
is properly followed, that five-page quote would be reduced to a 1-2 |
42 |
paragraph quote, or summary if a direct quote can't properly transmit |
43 |
context, with the single line (or two or three) reply at the bottom, but |
44 |
still on the same page, because the quote has been properly trimmed. |
45 |
|
46 |
Of course, if you are forwarding the quote with a comment of your own to |
47 |
someone not likely to read the orignal article, /then/ the rules are a bit |
48 |
different. /Then/, it's best to either include the quote as an |
49 |
attachment, or after your introductory comment. However, on a mailing |
50 |
list or newsgroup, most will have read the previous comments, so need only |
51 |
the context necessary to place your reply properly. Putting the quote |
52 |
afterward doesn't give them context. Putting it before but quoting the |
53 |
whole thing (if long like this is) doesn't give them context. Failing |
54 |
to include a quote at all doesn't give them context. Only proper trimming |
55 |
to the necessary context, summarizing if necessary, then placing it |
56 |
/before/ your reply, yields the desired context in which to properly |
57 |
interpret the reply. |
58 |
|
59 |
-- |
60 |
Duncan - List replies preferred. No HTML msgs. |
61 |
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master -- |
62 |
and if you use the program, he is your master." Richard Stallman in |
63 |
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2004/12/22/rms_interview.html |
64 |
|
65 |
|
66 |
-- |
67 |
gentoo-amd64@g.o mailing list |