Re: [libreoffice-users] top- or bottom- quoting

Hi :)

Sadly we have to deal with the world as it is rather than the way we would like 
it to be.  Far more people use the wonderful MicroSoft products such as Outlook 
than use all the alternatives added together.

Please can we try to be less unfriendly to people that are new in here?  Top 
posters (first timers asking questions) need to be responded to at the top of 
the thread.  Otherwise they might assume there was no answer in the reply.  Part 
of that response can be to ask them to bottom-post and check the ends of posts 
but there needs to be something that is directly useful to them in that 
response.  At the moment we often have responses that only appears to criticise  
the person and leaves nothing to help them.  That is a waste of their time which 
is not ideal if we are trying to attract people.

Most people will only have time to have a quick glance at an email, to triage, 
before deciding whether to deal with it now or leave it to later (often = 
delete).  The first thing that most people see is the top of the email and 
almost all our responses fall into the "leave to later or delete straight-away" 
category.  If we want people to see us as unhelpful and unfriendly then 
bottom-posting is fine.  


We have to be able to deal with people in the manner they are accustomed to.  At 
the moment we behave like stereotypical English tourists shouting loudly at 
people in MicroSoft-land and then shouting louder if they don't understand.  
Yes, they don't do thing 'our way'.  Obviously 'our way' is the only 'right way' 
but that doesn't necessarily mean we don't want to help them.  Or does it?

Regards from
Tom :)





________________________________
From: Jean-Francois Nifenecker <jean-francois.nifenecker@laposte.net>
To: users@libreoffice.org
Sent: Tue, 15 February, 2011 23:47:06
Subject: Re: [libreoffice-users] top- or bottom- quoting


Le 15/02/2011 18:38, Tom Davies a écrit :
> Hi :)

Bottom,

> Almost every office user i know (at least the few that use email)  posts at 
the
> top of mails and leaves the previous posts dangling downwards along with any
> signatures.  Some corporate users get all the previous thread deleted off the
> bottom and a disclaimer added to the bottom.  So, at best they stick with the
> defaults, the easiest thing.

I do know how badly office workers use mail, just because of some $µ%&@ 
OutlookExpress misbehaviour.

> The question is how much we want to alienate first-time users and office 
users?
> Who is more important to please, 'geeks' or potential new users?

Bottom quoting (hey, we've got a big furry troll) is the natural way of reading 
texts and answering questions:

> Question 1
Answer 1
> Question 2
Answer 2

and so on.

So no question (pun intended): bottom is the way to go :)

-- Jean-Francois Nifenecker, Bordeaux


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