Test said:
Gordon wrote ...
I use a newsgroup reader that shows me exactly which post my replies are
for - maybe you should too. This is one of the reason why I don't use
web-based readers.
Besides what Gordon mentions, there is also the fact that NNTP servers
will expire posts (remove them). That means your post might still be on
the server but the one to which you replied. Someone might be
researching the same problem, see you gave a solution, but might wonder
what was the original question.
While you should quote enough of the original post (or subthread) to
provide context to your reply, it isn't necessary to include everything.
Just keep enough so someone looking at your post can see why it exists,
what it was about, or if it is an actual solution. The OP's post was
pretty short so not much to snip there.
- Quote.
- Snip.
- Arrange all post in same order (top- or bottom-post order).
Another reason to quote (and possibly snip) the posts in a subthread is
because someone might issue a cancel against their post. Not many NNTP
servers honor cancels but some do (like the one that I use but which
uses a lock to determine that the actual poster is the one cancelling
their prior post). They remove their post, it's gone, and now there's a
hole in the subthread because your post doesn't have the original post
upon which to rely on for its context.
Another reason to quote is something to do with what Gordon mention:
propagation delay. Because users are submitting posts at different NNTP
servers, the propagation delays for the peering between those hosts and
the number of hops between them for the messages to show up on the
server that you use could cause the articles to appear out of order.
When they arrive they will get ordered in your newsreader in the proper
heirarchy but until they arrive they are missing so they can't provide
the context for your post. NNTP servers are located worldwide in a huge
mesh network. We aren't all posting to the same NNTP server.
Another reason to quote has to do with arrogance. Don't expect everyone
doing newsgroups to be using your newsreader or a better one. Although
discomforting to you, consider the lowest common denominator in this
community of peers. Not only are some folks using webnews interfaces or
forum gateways to Usenet but some still use command-line (console mode)
newsreaders because, after all, this is a text communication medium
(excluding the binary groups). That's also why you don't post using
HTML and instead use text. That's why you don't use quoted-printable
format but instead use fixed line wrap. You don't post here to read
your own posts. You want OTHERS to be able to read your posts. You
need to provide some context so when someone jumping into your post can
get a feel for why you responded as you did and not force them to
revisit the entire thread and every subthread trying to patch together
what you didn't bother to provide as context.
