From: Christopher Chaltain <cchaltain_at_austin.rr.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:33:19 -0600

Glenn Ervin wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robert L Cochran" <cochranb_at_speakeasy.net>
>
> So, my puzzlement at this kind of posting, where someone chooses to
> interrupt a very productive stream of useful posts in how to get speech
> to work on some devices, is all the greater. I'm a little shocked by it,
> in fact.
>
> I belong to several mailing lists and I can tell you that most of the
> posters on the Rockbox list seem to say very little in each post
> compared to those on other lists. Most of the posters here are amazingly
> polite and respectful people. They don't get wandery, they stay on
> topic, they are often too brief, it would seem to me, in discussing
> issues with their devices and the firmware. The posters on this forum
> are by and large the most polite that I've seen in any of the 7 or so
> other lists that I belong to.
>
> I find it difficult to believe, really, that someone would step in and
> make this kind of post. Considering the progress the list is making in
> discussing and resolving real technical issues, this one post seems like
> a Niagara Falls of cold water on posters who don't deserve it. I
> especially would not fuss with a visually impaired person about whether
> he or she top posts or not.
>
> Some policies are silly. This is one such. Change your policy and focus
> on the very important issues -- issues of working with your devices.
>
> I hope you people will be kinder and gentler with each other. Until I
> saw this one posting, it was a fascinating, productive, learning
> experience in how different devices work. I hope you people go back to
> business as usual. Please.
>
> Bob Cochran
>
> ** Hello Bob & all,
> I am a Blind list member, and I must respond here.
> Although I don't like bottom posting, as it is annoying for the Blind to
> read, and although I can do the editing about as quickly as a mouse user, it
> does take more use of punching keys, which does get tiring.
> But as a Blind user, I sure don't wish to have special forgiveness for top
> posting, as the list moderator, or the list cops, for that matter, will not
> give any less of a scolding to the sighted top poster than he or she would
> the Blind user, even though I would speculate that the majority of top
> posters are Blind.
> So though I would prefer the rule about not top posting not be there, I am
> glad that the rules are the same for the Blind as they are for the sighted.
> After all, we Blind users just want equality, which is something that the
> RockBox software does a lot toward providing.
> Oh yes, and kinder and gentler for all is a great suggestion.
>
> Glenn
>
>
>
>
>
I would just like to echo Glenn's post. I've weighed in on this topic
before, and my opinion is that top posting is superior to bottom posting
for both the poster and the reader and that the real issue here is not
editing down the post being replied to. That being said, the guidelines
for participating in this list are well documented and should be
followed whether you agree with them or not. We've had discussions on
whether these guidelines should be changed, and the answer has always
been that they should not be changed. I actually think the list has been
rather tolerant of top posting lately, and I think this gentle reminder
was tactful and not uncalled for. I'd like to suggest that we drop this
topic and get back to the intent of this list as Bob suggests. I'd
further add that we should follow the list guidelines and start separate
threads if we want to discuss the merits of the guidelines or how to
follow them most efficiently with different mail readers and in
environments.

-- 
Christopher
cchaltain_at_austin.rr.com

Received on 2008-01-21