Re: [Pan-users] top posting

[Anthony]

Charles Kerr <address@hidden> wrote:

> No need to hide behind the GNKSA here.  The bottom line is that
> top-posting is poor Usenet style.  top-posting messages shouldn't
> be prohibited by Pan, but it's reasonable to pop up a warning.

Top posting has its place, though it is overused. 

When one is replying directly to something previously written, top-posting
is inappropriate, and is used either by people with broken newsreaders
(especially those which add the replied-to message as an attachment!), or
by people who are too lazy to select the specific bits they are replying
to and deleting the rest.

However, when one is developing an argument or train of thought which
isn't directly a reply to something previously written, and one wants to
keep the previously written  material for context, top posting is
appropriate. References in papers are footnotes, not headnotes, and
similarly, top-posting draws the attention to the new content, while
leaving the old content available for reference or context.

Anthony
-- 
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.