[tlug] A gentle nudge from a moderator

[Scott Robbins <scottro@example.com>]

Folks, lately, we've seen a bit of an overabundance of top posting and
lack of trimming, mostly from relative newcomers to the list. 

I've received some complaints from the old timers.  So---

Firstly, this is not to be the start of a thread.  If you want to go way
back in time to see how some newcomers drove several of the more
valuable members off the list, you can go back in the archives--I forget
when it began and ended, but we lost several extremely valuable members. 

For those who think that we are wrong in putting their needs over
newcomers, please see both the main tlug pages and a little guide I
wrote around that time at

http://home.nyc.rr.com/computertaijutsu/newbieguide.html


So, PLEASE DO NOT TOP POST, AND PLEASE BEGIN TO TRIM UNNECESSARY PARTS
OF THE MESSAGES!  

For newcomers, or for those who might not have English as their first
language, let me give brief explanations, although Godwin's guide,
linked to from the list's main pages, gives a better one.  Here's his
guide's link

http://linux.sgms-centre.com/misc/netiquette.php

PLEASE read it.  For those who can't be bothered, one brief quote

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. 
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? 
A: Top-posting. 
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?
  
Please use inline posting, answer paragraph A below paragraph A,
paragraph B below paragraph B, etc. 

Trimming--trimming is snipping the unnecessary parts of the email that
you're answering.  This is a judgement call of course, you have to leave
in enough so that other readers can get the context.  For instance, if
you were replying to this email (BUT DON'T--SEE BELOW) you would leave
out just about everything but the shouting about top posting and the
first sentence of this pargraph. 

Trim aggressively.  

Ignore these two things will, among other things, make it more likely
that the more experience on the list will simply ignore your posts--the
logic is that if you can't take the trouble to make it easier for me to
read, I can't take the trouble to answer your question.

On occasion, people have visual or physical handicaps that make it
extremely difficult to avoid top posting or trimming--for instance, one
person on a forum that I frequent is handicapped to the point where he
types by holding a pencil in his mouth.  In such cases, of course, these
rules don't apply.  However, most of the time, it's simple laziness.

It's often accepted business practice, which is fine. This is a
technical mailing list, and generally accepted  practice is to
aggressively trim and to post in line. 

Every time there's a top posting complaint, we wind up getting a bunch
of emails on the thread about why we're wrong, blah blah.  We're not
interested, nor do we really need any messages of support. 

Here is the fact.  People that we consider extremely valuable on this
mailing list, people who we really want to keep here, have complained
about it.  Please don't do it.  

Obviously this isn't written in stone--there are times when you're in a
big hurry but want to answer someone's question.  However, it is
becoming more prevalent lately, enough so that members have asked us to
curb it. 


We aren't singling out any individual, several have been guilty of top
posting lately, and as for lack of aggressive trimming--well, I've been
guilty too, even to the point where another moderator wrote me and asked
me to pay more attention to it.


Thank you for your time. 
-- 
Scott Robbins
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