Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Trim Your Tails

[Doug Chamberlin (chamberlin.doug]

On 3/15/11 10:53 AM, Sheila Hoffman wrote:
> S: You're correct that context is important which is why it's suggested that
> we include the relevant snippet being addressed.
I agree with everything Sheila has said.

I'd also like to add that when you fail to properly quote the previous 
email (here referred to as not trimming your tail) the resulting buildup 
of "context" quickly overwhelms your contribution in size. I've seen 
many messages where the accumulated context is tens of thousands of 
lines - all carried along in each message just so one or two additional 
lines can be added. When each of those messages is propagated to a large 
audience it slows everything down and is completely unnecessary.

This happens easily when people top-post (add their comment to the top 
instead of the bottom) in replies because there is no incentive to trim 
the remainder of the message. Top-posting is another annoying habit I 
wish everyone would avoid.