There are many factors in how people behave. Interoperability of personal preference ranks low for most people. Has no one ever asked you how you can stand not reading e-mail in full blazing GUI glory?
I said this is a matter for developers, not for users, because developers (and administrators) are responsible for setting up users' capabilities and defaults and ensuring interoperability. I suspect most users would be fine with > quoting, if that were the default. Since it's not, they don't use it. But even if it's a chosen setting, it most often aligns with what they like the look of, not what they understand. It's a lot to ask of many people that they frame their workflow around issues they don't understand or want to understand, just because I pitched them a set of reasons that I said were logically sound. Non-enthusiasts just want it to work with a minimum of fuss and configuration, and if it looks like it works to them, then it works. Have you worked in direct user support? For each professional or enthusiast, there are hundreds who just use computers as a tool, the way you would use a hammer or a gas oven. Few people want to modify their ovens, even if oven engineers have suggestions for how to do it. I don't disagree with your rationale, I just don't think that training everyone else to think "right" isn't very practical as a solution to interop problems. Let me know when you convince them all, though, and I'll pay for drinks. :) -- -D. [EMAIL PROTECTED] NSIT University of Chicago
