Re: [cobalt-users] New Cobalt Forum

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tony wrote:

> By default Outlook starts a reply by putting the curser at the top
> of the reply message with the original message below.

Outlook is very broken.  Use it if you will, but that doesn't excuse you
from obeying mailinglist behavior rules created a long time ago (and
probably in a universe far, far away, as well <smile>).

> If one uses the tri-pane Outlook view this is kind of convenient since
> the reply will show at the TOP of the new message and one does not have
> to scroll down past the original message to see the new content.

Excellent behavior for personal replies to personal email, where people
know what you're replying to, because they sent it to you.

Not so good when you're writing to people who are trying to follow a
thread.

Smarter heads than you and I have come up with the system I'm using in
this post.

> SO...in order to comply with the top-posting edict/commandment I'm now
> manually cutting and pasting my reply to the bottom.

The preferred "quote-symbol" for the beginning of each line is the
"greater-than" symbol, the ">" symbol, ad it should (but doesn't need
to) be followed by a space.  And the newly created line (created by
adding the "> ", should be no longer than 72 characters or so.

Many MUAs can do this automatically.  If yours cannot, then it's up to
YOU to do it manually.  You can find one.  Plenty of us have.

> Does anyone know of an option to change the default Outlook reply behavior?
> And don't rant to me about my choice of mail client...99% of my clientbase
> uses it so therefore I do.

The nice thing about email is it's platform independent.  At least it is
if people use it properly.  Your clients can use anything they want, and
you can use anything you want.  To think otherwise is to use a cop-out.

> Actually top-post, bottom-post seems real similar to the Lilliputian
> problem of where to open an egg...big end? little end?

It depends on whether you want us to read and reply, or not.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672
Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 787-8589  *  fax: (909) 782-0205