Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!sunic!tut!ra!chyde!ts
From: ts@chyde.uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi LASK)
Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions
Subject: Re: Long quotes
Message-ID: <750@chyde.uwasa.fi>
Date: 10 Sep 89 07:38:07 GMT
References: <745@chyde.uwasa.fi> <748@pmafire.UUCP>
Reply-To: ts@chyde.uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi LASK)
Organization: U of Vaasa, Finland
Lines: 24

In article <748@pmafire.UUCP> geoff@pmafire.UUCP (Geoff Allen) writes:
>In article <745@chyde.uwasa.fi> ts@chyde.uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi LASK) writes:
>>Here (below) is a very good example how quoting should not be done.
...
>I agree with the point, but I think it would have been helpful to show
>how to constructively edit down the quoted material.  For example:
>
>.signature).  When you're quoting a previous article, include enough
>information to give your response some meaning, but don't quote
>everything.  And there's especially no need to quote the .signature.

Right you are.  I should have been more constructive.  Informative
quoting is not always easy, and sometimes users just get lazy or
(especially newcomers) have technical difficulties in quoting.  As
you say, the important thing is to use quotes in a manner which
gives the reader and idea what the reply is about, and at the same
time keep the quote short.  One good rule of thumb is that that if
one has to scroll the screen in order to come to the beginning of
the reply, the quote is too long.

...................................................................
Prof. Timo Salmi                                (Site 128.214.12.3)
School of Business Studies, University of Vaasa, SF-65101, Finland
Internet: ts@chyde.uwasa.fi Funet: vakk::salmi Bitnet: salmi@finfun