top posting is better

[Siri Amrit Kaur]

Normally I bottom-post or intersperse comments/questions within a 
post, but you raise a good point. (And as I write this, I realize 
that people will have to scroll down to see the point I'm referring 
to, which is why I usually bottom-post.)

When you use a screen reader or whatever tool you use to read, do you 
see the > and >> in the quoted messages? Is it harder to see 
interspersed comments than comments that are just bottom-posted?

Aside from the difficulties presented by the blind, which may clearly 
have a preference for top-posting, I'm not convinced that there's a 
way that's always better. When there's a long post and someone simply 
wants to say, "Thanks, that worked" or something like that, 
top-posting seems more appropriate to me. I think whether top or 
bottom is better sometimes depends on the nature of the issue or 
conversation.

Siri Amrit

On Wednesday 26 October 2005 09:48 pm Technomage kindly wrote:
> ok, here's a hot button issue: do you have any idea how hard it is
> for the blind to sift through all that quoted material trying to
> hunt down responses? Even with a good screen reader package, its
> frustrating (there are more than a few of us on this 9and other)
> list(s).  Personally, I find it loads easier when folks top post
> (but then, that is my opinion).
>
> I know that responses inside quoted is pretty much the accepted
> norm, but then, it is far easier for you to read that way than it
> is for me.
>
> just my thought.
>
> TMH
>
> > consistency is relative. The issues of trimming, relevancy and
> > making sense of the flow of the communications seems more
> > important. Most of the people who top post have no consideration
> > for the the issues of trimming and relevancy, they only seek to
> > have their own words heard without context - sort of
> > saying...listen to my thoughts and if you need the context, read
> > on or look to previous messages in the thread.
> >
> > Craig
>
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