>  Include quoted text from previous posts  *BEFORE* your responses.

But outlook, eudora, cc:mail, and every mailer I've ever used puts the
previous text after the response.  I don't know of any way to change this.

Is the kind of response in this message legal?

-----Original Message-----
From: Conrad Schneiker [mailto:schneiker / jump.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 3:01 PM
To: ruby-talk ML; undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Re: The Ruby Way


Hi,

"Chris Reay" <mrchameleon / hotmail.com> wrote:
> "Curt Hibbs" <curt / hibbs.com> wrote:
> > That was supposed to say "how do I implement a hash with duplicate
keys?"
> >
> > Curt
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Curt Hibbs [mailto:curt / hibbs.com]
> > > Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 12:15 AM
> > > To: ruby-talk ML
> > > Subject: [ruby-talk:30275] RE: The Ruby Way
> > >
> > >
> > > > From: Conrad Schneiker [mailto:schneiker / jump.net]
> > > > Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 11:54 PM
[...]
> Conrad initiated this thread to inform you that your posting
> netiquette does not follow the true path of "The Ruby Way" ... :)

That might be an overly-subtle reference to a thread from a year or so
ago. But in any case I suspect that many people will be clueless (as I
was not so many years ago :-) about what netiquette violations you
were pointing out above and how the more subtle one was caused. Care
to write up a brief explanation?

Anyway, since you opened this sociological can of worms, perhaps we
need a brief monthly netiquette posting to clue in netiquette newbies.
So, venturing where angles fear to tread, perhaps the following text
below could be used as a starting place. It could probably use more
humor and some examples and some more explanations for why this way of
doing things is generally preferred.

The very modest aim here should simply be to inform suitably
predisposed conscientious newbies, not total mass conversion. Keeping
that in mind, hopefully something constructive can come out of this
without wild flamethrower riots errupting and scorching the
surrounding crowd of onlookers. :-)

==== Excerpted from the old comp.lang.ruby NG FAQ ====

Tell me the posting guidelines for comp.lang.ruby.

  (You should also follow these guidelines for the ruby-list mail
  list, since it is mirrored to comp.lang.ruby.)

[...]

The general format guidelines (aka USENET Netiquette) are
matters of common sense and common courtesy that make life
easier for 3rd parties to follow along (in real time or
when perusing archives):

- PLEASE NOTE! Include quoted text from previous posts
  *BEFORE* your responses. And *selectively* quote as much
  as is relevant. (This is a loose guideline; don't cut so much that
  the context is not obvious and the content becomes cryptic.)
- Use *plain* text; don't use HTML, RTF, or Word. Most
  mail or newsreader program have an option for this; if
  yours doesn't, get a (freeware) program or use a
  web-based service that does.
- Include examples from files as *in-line* text; don't
  use attachments.

If reporting a problem, give *all* the relevant
information the first time; this isn't the psychic friends
newsgroup.  :-)  When appropriate, include:

- The version of Ruby. ("ruby -v")
- The compiler name and version used to build Ruby.
- The OS type and level. ("uname -a")
- The actual error messages.
- An example (preferably simple) that produces the
  problem.

[...]

Make the subject line maximally informative, so that people who should
be interested will read your post and so that people who wouldn't be
interested can easily avoid it.

*Usefully* describe the contents of your post:

    This is OK:

        "How can I do x with y on z?"
        "Problem: did x, expected y, got z."
        "Bug: doing x with module y crashed z."

    This is *NOT* OK:

        "Please help!!!"
        "Newbie question"
        "Need Ruby guru to tell me what's wrong"

[...]

ALWAYS be friendly, considerate, tactful, and tasteful.  We
want to keep this forum hospitable to the growing ranks of
newbies, very young people, and their teachers, as well as
cater to fire breathing wizards.  :-)

[...]

==== end excerpt ====

Conrad