[78-L] e-mail etiquette, was Re: Yawn

[Michael Biel]

I likewise disagreed with almost all of the e-mail etiquette presented
by the pros (with the exception of the explanation of interspacing
replies, something I regularly do).  I likewise thoroughly agree with
Thomas Stern's suggestion of putting responses first, above the repeat. 
There is NOTHING worse than scanning down thru a long message you've
seen before to find that all some clown has done is to only put in
"Thank you" or "Right On" or "the whole world is rotten because they
have money and I don't and I can solve the world's problems by making a
direct connection in my tone arm to an obsolete ceramic powerpoint". 
(And if you've already seen the message I have reposted below, you don't
have to scan down thru it because I've not put in anything new.  And if
you wish to save this, you can delete the original.)

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [78-L] e-mail etiquette, was Re: Yawn
From: "Thomas Stern" <sternth at attglobal.net>
Date: Mon, June 29, 2009 4:52 pm
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>

 I usually keep quiet when these discussions of e-mail response are
raging, but I will add my 4cents now:
 1. Pruning previous messages - sometimes a good idea, HOWEVER I would
like
it to be done sparingly. If there is information worth keeping, it is
better imo to have it all in one cumulative message, than having it
spread
over 3 or 4 or dozens of messages.
 For example, discographic listings, or information about matrix
numbers,
series, dating - it would be nice to be able to simply discard the
previous
half dozen or more messages as each new bit of information is added.
 2. Response before or after - I prefer the older messages to be at the
BOTTOM,
not at the top. If I am FOLLOWING a thread, I want to see the current
response and not have to space through an accumulation of previously
read
material. I think that is operationally the way most people work with
this
mode of communication.
 Obviously, if I come in late, or am reading archives, it is less
convenient,
but that is the exception, not the rule.
 This leads to something I have suggested in other contexts - if there
is
valuable data in ephemeral communication, it would be useful to create a
repository
for that information. The repository should be is permanent, updateable,
accessible. Such as a handbook for label history, dating guide, brief
biographies, discographies, etc.
 Best wishes, Thomas.







_______________________________________________
78-L mailing list
78-L at klickitat.78online.com
http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l