Wassup with the Quote Fever?

[Doug Shepard]

This has been bugging me lately as it seems to be getting increasingly prevalent. Why do folks qoute a posters entire original post before replying?? We're all aware that you're replying to THAT post because we read it too. I'm not talking about the cases where you want to reply to one or two specific portions of the post and snip out the rest of the OP using the ellipsis ("..."). And I'm also not talking about quoting and replying to somebody else's reply, although for large replies, I quess the same question applies. Why quote the whole thing?

Now that I've got that off my chest, I'll just sit back and count the number of folks that reply to this and quote the whole thing.:(

[David Epperson]

This has been bugging me lately as it seems to be getting increasingly prevalent. Why do folks qoute a posters entire original post before replying?? We're all aware that you're replying to THAT post because we read it too. I'm not talking about the cases where you want to reply to one or two specific portions of the post and snip out the rest of the OP using the ellipsis ("..."). And I'm also not talking about quoting and replying to somebody else's reply, although for large replies, I quess the same question applies. Why quote the whole thing?

Now that I've got that off my chest, I'll just sit back and count the number of folks that reply to this and quote the whole thing.:(
:DSorry. Just had to do it.

Other than that I tend to agree with you (glad yours was a short post.)
I normally try to break the OP into "subquotes", if you will, reply to each point in turn and leave the non-relevant stuff out.

[Mike Henderson]

I wish more people would use the quote function. When a thread gets long, it's not at all clear who a poster is responding to when they just start out saying something. I agree that it's often not necessary to include the whole quote, but including the salient part is a courtesy to the reader.

It's easy for the reader to skip the quoted part so the only downside is the bandwidth to load the quote - which for text is minimal.

As an alternate, Doug, if the responder would include the name, including the last initial, of the person they're responding to, it would also help the reader figure out who they're responding to.

Mike

[Matt Meiser]

This has been bugging me lately as it seems to be getting increasingly prevalent. Why do folks qoute a posters entire original post before replying?? We're all aware that you're replying to THAT post because we read it too. I'm not talking about the cases where you want to reply to one or two specific portions of the post and snip out the rest of the OP using the ellipsis ("..."). And I'm also not talking about quoting and replying to somebody else's reply, although for large replies, I quess the same question applies. Why quote the whole thing?

Now that I've got that off my chest, I'll just sit back and count the number of folks that reply to this and quote the whole thing.:(

Plus One. :D

And I agree with you guys. There's not a ton of value in quoting a whole long reply. Breaking it apart is good thought.

[Dennis Peacock]

Plus One. :D

And I agree with you guys. There's not a ton of value in quoting a whole long reply. Breaking it apart is good thought.

So how many quotes can one quote before a quote that gets quoted become a non-quote but ends up being a thesis paper?? :rolleyes: :p :D


On a more serious note...I aggree with ya Doug.....It is common courtesy to either respond to the person by using their name (like: Matt, I understand your feelings about quoting....) or to only use "part" of a quote to repond to.

Now...did my quote, quote what I was supposed to quote before my quote got all confuzzed and stuff? :D

[Matt Meiser]

This has been bugging me lately as it seems to be getting increasingly prevalent. Why do folks qoute a posters entire original post before replying?? We're all aware that you're replying to THAT post because we read it too. I'm not talking about the cases where you want to reply to one or two specific portions of the post and snip out the rest of the OP using the ellipsis ("..."). And I'm also not talking about quoting and replying to somebody else's reply, although for large replies, I quess the same question applies. Why quote the whole thing?

Now that I've got that off my chest, I'll just sit back and count the number of folks that reply to this and quote the whole thing.:(


:DSorry. Just had to do it.

Other than that I tend to agree with you (glad yours was a short post.)
I normally try to break the OP into "subquotes", if you will, reply to each point in turn and leave the non-relevant stuff out.


I wish more people would use the quote function. When a thread gets long, it's not at all clear who a poster is responding to when they just start out saying something. I agree that it's often not necessary to include the whole quote, but including the salient part is a courtesy to the reader.

It's easy for the reader to skip the quoted part so the only downside is the bandwidth to load the quote - which for text is minimal.

As an alternate, Doug, if the responder would include the name, including the last initial, of the person they're responding to, it would also help the reader figure out who they're responding to.

Mike


So how many quotes can one quote before a quote that gets quoted become a non-quote but ends up being a thesis paper?? :rolleyes: :p :D


On a more serious note...I aggree with ya Doug.....It is common courtesy to either respond to the person by using their name (like: Matt, I understand your feelings about quoting....) or to only use "part" of a quote to repond to.

Now...did my quote, quote what I was supposed to quote before my quote got all confuzzed and stuff? :D

About this many.

[Chris Padilla]

Geeeeeeeeez, Matt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;)

[David Epperson]

Plus One. :D

And I agree with you guys. There's not a ton of value in quoting a whole long reply. Breaking it apart is good thought.
So how many quotes can one quote before a quote that gets quoted become a non-quote but ends up being a thesis paper?? :rolleyes: :p :D
Don't make me get tricky here. :D




Now...did my quote, quote what I was supposed to quote before my quote got all confuzzed and stuff? :DUh....Yeah...I think. :D

[Doug Shepard]

Thank you one and all for helping to illustrate my point:D

[Dennis Peacock]

Matt,
ROFL!!!! Wow....that's pretty awesome.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doug,
You're so very welcome. Glad we could help make your point just a bit more clear. ;) :)

[Greg Peterson]

When a thread gets long, it's not at all clear who a poster is responding to when they just start out saying something.

Precisely why I use quotes. If I am not using quotes, I make sure my post is addressed to the appropriate poster so as to avoid confusion.

Also, since I view threads in linear mode I am unable see the relationship of posts to one another.

Perhaps we could get a smilie for quotes? http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/alles_moegliche/mixed-smiley-009.gif

[Jim Becker]

Doug, I use quotes extensively...and also spend a good part of my moderation time "fixing quote tagging" for others who make boo-boos when editing. Nature of the beast...

[Tim Morton]

Thank you one and all for helping to illustrate my point:D

you are welcome!!!:D:D:D

[Tim Morton]

I find quotes to be very helpful, and its easy enough to ignore them when I don't need them. But its frustrating to read a post where someone says

Bob I totally agree with everything you just said, but here is another opinion....

I then need to go back and find out who bob is, and then i even need to find out which post of his the person might be referring too.

But I do agree that super long posts could easily be broken down some...and pictures two should not be quoted... especially if is is on the same page as the person quoting them

[Glenn Clabo]

Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Stay at home in your mind. Don't recite other people's opinions. I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.

[Doug Shepard]

I totally forgot to mention what prodded me onto my soapbox. Within the last several days there were a couple of replies that were either the 2nd or 3rd thread post that qouted the entire OP. Close enough that you could have read the OP plus the reply in the window IF the reply hadn't quoted the whole thing (and for no apparent purpose other than just hitting the quote button). Sheesh.:confused:

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

This has been bugging me lately as it seems to be getting increasingly prevalent. Why do folks qoute a posters entire original post before replying?? We're all aware that you're replying to THAT post because we read it too. I'm not talking about the cases where you want to reply to one or two specific portions of the post and snip out the rest of the OP using the ellipsis ("..."). And I'm also not talking about quoting and replying to somebody else's reply, although for large replies, I quess the same question applies. Why quote the whole thing?

Now that I've got that off my chest, I'll just sit back and count the number of folks that reply to this and quote the whole thing.:(

It is odd isn't it?

[Jim O'Dell]

The quotes here really don't bother me. Go to the Mini Max forum and watch what they do. I get mine on digest, and each one will quote the one before them, and they accumulate. They don't just quote the single one before, but all of them. By the fifth or greater, you're trying to scroll through pages and pages of nothing but quotes. Now that is maddening. Jim.

[Dennis Peacock]

The quotes here really don't bother me. Go to the Mini Max forum and watch what they do. I get mine on digest, and each one will quote the one before them, and they accumulate. They don't just quote the single one before, but all of them. By the fifth or greater, you're trying to scroll through pages and pages of nothing but quotes. Now that is maddening. Jim.

Yup...I hear ya Jim. The same thing happens on a Windows Vista forum I visit. Very frustrating.

[Roger Bell]

And I agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson. I dislike quotes unless they are pithy. I would much rather have a well written half-page of discourse that actually adds something, rather than mere repetition and a "yeah-me-too".

[Jim Becker]

Roger, any woodturner will tell you that you should cut out the pith... :D

[david hines]

no I have never used this machine,but the one costing a thousand dollars more is better, and have you checked out grizzly. sorry my pet peeve.

[Doug Shepard]

... Go to the Mini Max forum and watch what they do. ...

Do I hafta go there?:( Despte having a MM16 I spend very little time there for the reason you mentioned. You cant tell the answers from the questions because everything looks like the question. At least the problem there is somewhat understandable as it's caused by the software itself. It takes a conscious effort from somebody to delete the prevous stuff when replying. The situation here is a bit different as there was a conscious decision to put the quotes in.


no I have never used this machine,but the one costing a thousand dollars more is better, and have you checked out grizzly. sorry my pet peeve.

I haven't used your reply but the Minimax reply is better (it's in Italian and cost more), and have you checked out the Grizzly reply (it's in Chinese and costs less)??:D Sort of like the WW forum version of - No But I Did Stay at a Holiday Inn Last Night.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I totally forgot to mention what prodded me onto my soapbox. Within the last several days there were a couple of replies that were either the 2nd or 3rd thread post that qouted the entire OP. Close enough that you could have read the OP plus the reply in the window IF the reply hadn't quoted the whole thing (and for no apparent purpose other than just hitting the quote button). Sheesh.:confused:

Oh man I feel, ya I feel ya.

[Don Abele]

Like others, when I quote someone I will cut out all except for what I am replying to and use ellipses (...) to show that I took it out of the original context.

Here's one you haven't mentioned that REALLY bugs me...quote the attachments that someone has posted. So the photos wind up in the thread multiple times.

Be well,

Doc

[Doug Shepard]

...Here's one you haven't mentioned that REALLY bugs me...quote the attachments that someone has posted. So the photos wind up in the thread multiple times.
...


Dont get me started on that one. Our dial-up access members (not me thankfully) gotta love that one.