On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 09:02:54 -0800, Bill Turner wrote:
On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 05:56:54 -0000, (Dave Platt)
wrote:
In an absolute sense, one can argue that neither top nor bottom posting
is inherently superior. Howeve, bottom/interspersed posting "got here
first" and has been part of Internet tradition for longer than there has
been an Internet (big "I").
It's good to re-evaluate so-called traditions from time to time.

In the business world, top posting is nearly universal due to use of
Microsoft Office, which defaults that way. Given that many more people
use Office than use Usenet (I think), shouldn't the majority rule? If
not, why not?

The following reasons are NOT valid, IMO:

1. Tradition.

2. English is read from top to bottom. I've ALREADY read the quoted
part, I don't need to do it again, usually. It is nice to have it
available to refer to if needed, but the NEW part is what I'm really
interested in.

I am bottom posting here (tradition) but I'm thinking of changing.
Convince me otherwise if you can. Mind is open.

Imagine someone coming into the middle of the conversation (posting
exchange) and not having already read the quoted part. With bottom posting
they (in particular me) can get up to speed on the thread easier.

Server load, net traffic, etc, can cause news msgs and email to arrive out
of sync with other replies. With top posting you can never be sure of the
order of things you are reading without scrolling up and down a lot. Mix
this with msgs that are part top and part bottom posted and you have a
maze to try to figure out. (I/you/we could argue that however a msg comes
to you - top or bottom posted - you and others who may reply to it should
follow that style for that msg and not mix top/bottom posting)

I'm babbling and probably not making sense. Let me try this - This is how
I see top posting -

Answer

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Hope I've not conviently left out some things. ;-)
Now that I've butted in and caused this thread to drag on longer than
it should - Hey! - How about some homebrew radio content!? (technically
this should be the start of a new thread with a new subject, maybe I'll do
that when I test my antenna some more) I just built a discone style
antenna with a lot of radials from 36 inch lengths of wire welding rod. I
put it on top of a pole that used to have a bird house on it in my
backyard. My neighbors grandfather says it looks like a "sputnic" landed
and abducted the bird house.

- Mike