problem on top-post

[Ben Finney]

John Gordon <gordon at panix.com> writes:

> In <mailman.13017.1408067250.18130.python-list at python.org> luofeiyu <elearn2014 at gmail.com> writes:
>
> > the best way is to excerpt only the relevent portions of the parent 
> > message ,not top-post nor bottom-post , right?
>
> The followup text appears underneath the quoted parent message, thus
> bottom-post.

“Bottom-post” usually refers to the inferior practice of quoting a
message (entirely or large amounts) and then indiscriminately responding
to all of it below all of the quoted text.

The preferred style is “interleaved”, where responses are interleaved
among the relevant parts of quoted material. Each response appears below
only the relevant part.

So no, the responses should not appear below the quoted *message*, but
below the relevant *part* of the quoted material, followed potentially
by more relevant quoted material and responses to those.

(We agree that there should be no quoted material after all of your own
responses; if you're not following quoted material with a relevant
response, that part of the quoted material should be removed in your
message.)

With only a small, single point to respond to, the recommended
“interleaved” style is identical to “bottom post” — in this message, for
example.

But “bottom post” is not preferred when there are multiple responses to
multiple points, by one person or several. The “interleaved” style is
the recommended etiquette.

-- 
 \           “The lift is being fixed for the day. During that time we |
  `\            regret that you will be unbearable.” —hotel, Bucharest |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney