* John Buttery ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote: > * Michael Tatge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [2002-03-30 13:35:04 +0100]: > >NO. It's "> " Period. Please don't make a new OT thread out of this, > >especially you David. ;-)
^ The problem with using just '>' is that the quote string merges with the text and becomes difficult to disinguish, not only for users, but for reflowing algorithms which often have to put up with crap like: | %>>JF > Bla bla That space goes a long way to ease working out what's a >INITAL quote and what's not. If you want to turn: > > > > > > Foo bar wibble Into: >>>>>> Foo bar wibble Then that's fine (although I prefer the spaces; quotes rarely need to nest deeply, and the space makes working out the depth easier), but please don't say: >>>>>>Foo bar wibble is better because it saves a single character. I personally find quoting without a space after the quote more irritating than any of the exotic quote strings I've come across, with the possible exception of: C=This is quoted text C=Bla bla bla C= C=Cookie to whoever works out what this brain dead quote string is C=supposed to represent. With a space even that fits in with the (possible initial)([>|%=#:;!$&*-+])(possible initial) interpretation; without it, it's difficult to work out whether "Bla" is part of a name or initial or not. -- Thomas 'Freaky' Hurst - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.aagh.net/ - The mosquito is the state bird of New Jersey. -- Andy Warhol
