At 4/4/01 10:32 PM -0400, you wrote:
Come now, since you're not one of the "authors" listed in the FAQ, and there is no express indication of your copyright, how can you even begin to question the FAQ? Of course, in order to say that, I have to subscribe to the notion that there are really such things as appointed list cops.
Thom, for once I take issue with your point of view. I helped to write that thing (hence I am an "author"), and it was a collaborative effort to try to help both those entering the list and those living in the list. Not once throughout that process did *any* participant show a "list cop" mentality, and I would invite anyone to check the threads in the archives. The entire thing was done on-list as well, which is about as open and participatory as you can get.
I strongly disagree with Mr. Brownback (true, I've only been on the Net for 13 years, but still... top-posting on a mailing list is just a pain in the ass), and I've read the RFC in question and do believe that bottom-posting is the "correct" way to do it. However, arguing about it isn't going to do any good... people should read the RFC and make up their own minds. RFC's aside, however, in any community the community sets its rules. Each one of us (including Mr. Brownback) should respect each community's preferences, e.g. inet-access (top-posting OK), cobalt-users (not OK), redhat-list (not OK), and so on through many others.
Throughout the history of humanity, too many times we have falled into the trap of looking for That One Right Way, and then trying to convince everyone else (by force if necessary) that Our Way is The One Right Way. I say it's about time we learned from our mistakes.
-- Rodolfo J. Paiz rpaiz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx