Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 21:59:26 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
From: Barry Newton <bnewton at ashcomp.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Netiquette
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

I have a couple of thoughts on style and netiquette, for what they're worth:

If I remember correctly, the plaintext style of using _underscores_  thusly
to indicate underlined (or italicized) text might have originated with the
keystroke combinations from CP/M Wordstar. . .anybody remember?

Bottom quoting is ok with me as long as the entire email is visible on the
screen.  If it gets longer, something a little more sophisticated is called
for.

I *really* no, REALLY hate skipping down through two or three screens of
crap I read two days ago to see where someone agrees.  This is really
inconsiderate, and we should probably throw things at the guilty parties.
You know who you are!

I think that Keith talks to too many system administrators.  Ted is right
about people liking to be able to make their thoughts look as bad as they
sound/read/smell.  A major source of HTML based email is corporate America,
buying MS Office at huge volume discounts and forcing thousands of hapless
workers to use Express and Outlook.  Then paying for a security staff to
try and filter out the MS-specific viruses, locking out access to the
Internet for several days a year.

Barry