-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi ~John,
@9-Oct-2002, 13:45 -0700 (21:45 UK time) ~John & Marjorie~ [jM] in [EMAIL PROTECTED]">mid:[EMAIL PROTECTED] said: jM> Is there a way to set a filter to mark the unimportant messages jM> as "Read" and the important ones UnRead ? ... <snip> >> Fernando, ... <snip> jM> - - - End of Joseph N.'s message - - - <moderator> <stock lecture> You're using the "top posting" reply format, one that I find awful (but I'm feeling more like Canute by the day on that score). It is called "top posting" because you let the quotes appear at the bottom and type your reply at the top. I have many reasons to prefer the "in-line quoting" method: o It is easier to follow points raised and counterpoints made when they are interspersed. With top posting you have to go from top to bottom to top again to review the context and work out what the post is about. o Following on from that, as you go through the quotes interspersing your replies and clipping the "fluff", you actually ensure that all points raised and questions asked are covered and that the quoted material is suitably trimmed. o The message format becomes a lot more conversational and thus more legible. o Rather than growing exponentially with each reply in a thread, the message size is kept reasonable and to the point. o When you top post, you deprive anyone who is replying the ability to join in with the conversation and reply to both you and the original message writer. The original message has been taken "out of the frame" and is no longer in context. o Responses have immediate context rather than being a bolt out of the blue at the top of a message making you scroll down to re-read the original. When cut marks are used for signature this task is made even harder because the quotes appear in light grey italics for users of the TB Rich Text Viewer. I know there are some instances where top-posting is necessary - particularly in dealing with a technical support department where an issue may be passed around from person to person and the entire message chain needs to be kept live. I actually have a special template I use for such occasions. At all other times, I will still champion the cause of conversational email! :-). You were partially rescued on two counts - 1) The message you quoted contained a cut mark and that resulted in the signatures being trimmed (but that's all) 2) Your own cut mark was badly formed so the quoted message did not appear in grey, italic "signature" mode. Read the help and the FAQ about properly forming a cut mark. Please modify your reply template for use with this list. This is not just a note to the addressee, but to anyone else intending to reply to posts on this list. </stock lecture> </moderator> - -- Cheers -- .\\arck D Pearlstone -- List moderator TB! v1.62/Beta5 on Windows 2000 5.0.2195 Service Pack 2 ' -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.0-nr2 (Windows 2000) iD8DBQE9pOBOOeQkq5KdzaARAhztAJ0eozxa8UexcsKtoDTHYrPVStfh0wCg2saA 0QOhfwOAkCYhsH5cdQFUhdM= =DO39 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ________________________________________________ Current version is 1.61 | "Using TBUDL" information: http://www.silverstones.com/thebat/TBUDLInfo.html
