Why do people detest top posting so much?

[Pete Clapham]

Derek Broughton wrote:
> Odzangba K. Dake wrote:
>
>   
>> Ok, I just have to ask... what is so wrong with it. I admit that I prefer
>> bottom posting because, well, it makes reading easier but quite a few
>> people on this list (and on others) actively detest it and quite often
>> snap at you if you bottom post.
>>     
>
> "Bottom post"?  Surely you meant "top-post".  I've never seen anybody
> snapped at for bottom-posting itself, though you might get a testy response
> if you quote 200 lines to add a line at the bottom that says "me too!". 
> More likely nobody will actually read the post...
>
>   
>> What's the deal here? 
>>     
>
> As my standard response says:
>
> "Please don't top-post.  It makes it hard to have a conversation".
>
> Conversations are "he said... she said...".  Reversing it confuses people.
>   
May I humbly point out that if you're actually following the 
conversation, you've read the previous messages.  Bottom posting forces 
you to go through all that again until you find the answer you're 
interested in.  Top posting makes it easier to continue a conversation.

May I also humbly point out that each listserve has its own customs.  
/Every/ other listserve that I am involved in prefers to top-post 
because it makes communication easier.  If this one prefers bottom 
posting, then fine.  But to suggest that top-posting is somehow bad and 
snapping at people for it is, shall we say, inappropriate at best.
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