Replying - Top or Bottom Posting

[Stringent]

OK not sure on this one, there seems to be different opinions as to where you reply to an email. Do you reply at the top with the quoted text below, or do you put your reply below the quoted text.

Persoanlly I top post cos I don't want to read everything again ... but which is correct? Or is this another "There is no real answer to".

Perhaps we need an InSO Internet Standards Organistation or something!

[schmunk]

Bottom posting usually, because you can read what exactly is being replied to (or recognise it and not have to read it) and then read the reply.

[DavidM]

Top posting is generally regarded as naughty.

The only person I knew who could get away with it, was very badly sighted - so got confused trying to read quoted text.

[BlackDwarf]

Really?

I always top post. It enables you to see whats gone on below, but can easily read a reply without scrolling through possibly huge pages of text.

[DavidM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-posting

I preffer the Inline method

[Funkstar]

Depends on context.

mailing lists i bottom post. personal emails i top post. technical queries etc. i in-line quote.

[Stringent]

Yeah, I seem to do that, for forums, I quote then reply at the bottom. Emails generally I top post if personal.

Don't use mailing lists nowadays.

[Mike Fishcake]

Depends on context.

mailing lists i bottom post. personal emails i top post. technical queries etc. i in-line quote.

This.

[XA04]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-posting

I preffer the Inline method

I don't see how it's easier to read though. You don't read a book from bottom to top.


On forums, I keep the quote above though... you can see what the person who is replying is talking about then. It's sort of like reading a question and then the answer, you don't *usually* read the answer and then the question.

[hitman67]

I tend to do top most of the time, although if it's important I put it underneath so it follows properly.

[DavidM]

I don't see how it's easier to read though. You don't read a book from bottom to top.

Actually you do ... left to right, top to bottom *

*At least with many languages

[Lee H]

bottom poster here

Make's it easier for the person who's reading it.

Always used bottom posting on newsgroups etc since 1999.

[ctid]

Yeah, I seem to do that, for forums, I quote then reply at the bottom. Emails generally I top post if personal.

Don't use mailing lists nowadays.

.

[directhex]

because it messes up the normal flow of reading.
>>>do you top-post?
>why not?
>>no

[streetster]

.. took me 5 minutes to understand what this thread is all about! for forums, i would have the quote followed by my response.. for emails i have my response followed by whatever was sent to me

[Howard]

If you're writing a reply to the email why would you want to read your previous email again just to see the person's response? It's much neater being at the top. There's a reason Outlook (and all other mail editors) stick the new message at the top

For forums I quote at the top and type my response under it, seeing as the conversation doesn't always flow you can't just type "yes." and expect people to know what it relates to