[linker3000]

I didn't know there was a competition.

[jghn]

This was a huge debate on USENET in particular, as well as in the email world until Outlook effectively made top posting the standard.

RFC 1855 [1] makes it clear that the correct way is to quote relevant text and then reply.

[1] https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc1855

[richardwhiuk]

RFCs aren't really a suitable document for agreeing this sort of communication conventions.

[junon]

It's been one of those "tabs vs spaces"-like holy wars for a while.

[sitkack]

(soft) No, no. Tabs vs spaces is more of a butter side up/down thing.

Top Posting is how you assert dominance and gaslight an entire thread while ignoring a nuanced point of view. That complexity is not present in tabs vs spaces.

[junon]

Like I said, holy war.

[Aurornis]

Consider yourself lucky. I’ve always adapted to the prevailing format of each mailing list, but the people who try to create a holy war out of different styles have always been insufferable.

In a normal office environment e-mail moves much faster, people open threads with the context already in mind, and expect to see the relevant new info at the top. Bottom posting would either make everyone sigh heavily when they see an e-mail from that one person or would earn someone a quick coaching session to adopt the prevailing style of the office environment.

But if you go on to a mailing list that wants bottom posting, that’s what you do. It’s a courtesy.