[Tutor] [OT] Replies go to individuals, not the list?

[Steven D'Aprano]

On 21/08/13 09:09, Chris Down wrote:
> On 2013-08-21 01:01, Chris Down wrote:
>> Right, which is why when top posting you should cut to the relevant context.
>
> s/top posting/bottom posting/
>
> I'm interested to know how you can reply and reference multiple parts of a
> message clearly when top posting, though. I think that's impossible without
> destroying clarity. Bottom posting is just objectively much more intuitive when
> replying per-context and not per-message, which is what you want almost all of
> the time.

Please don't call it "bottom posting". Bottom posting is when you scroll all the way past the original message, and append your reply at the bottom. Unless the quoted message is very short, as it is here, bottom-posting is worse than top-posting, since it has all the disadvantages of top-posting, AND loses the one advantage (namely that you can quickly see new content without scrolling).

What you're referring to is inline or interleaved posting, where the reply is interleaved between paragraphs of quoted text, thus establishing context, rather like a conversation. Since what we're doing here *is* a conversation, albeit written rather than spoken, interleaving responses is most natural.

But sometimes, if the communication isn't really a conversation as such, a short top-posted reply is best. The rule of thumb I use is this:

- If the poster raises various points that need to be answered individually, then I interleave my responses with their comments: Question, Answer, Question, Answer sort of thing.

- If there is nowhere I can reasonably trim their comments to establish context, and my response is just a general reply rather than specifically responding to specific comments (e.g. if my reply is "thanks for your email, I'll consider it for the future" sort of thing) then I might top post, leaving their comments below for context.

Whatever posting style is used *clarity of communication* should be the intent. Too many people make *ease of firing off an email with the least effort possible* their intent, and screw their readers.


-- 
Steven