thunderbird - reply on top or bottom?

I like to put my replies at the top of the message that I am responding to. I think there is a way to control where the cursor goes when I start the reply but I haven't found it.

 

tenbob,

Tools | Account Settings | Composition & Addressing
Select: Automatically quote the original message when replying
Select: then start my reply above the quote

 

one to one this is almost acceptable, but when their is multiple recipients can I request that you don't do this. It may make your life easier (in what way ) but it does interfere with others.

IMO bottom posting with relevant cuts is OK, inline posting is OK, top posting forget it I don't have the time to scroll down and see what your problem is.

 

I assume that it is a question. The settings are a listed by Ramona, and you can do whatever you want, and go back and forth, but there is no single button which can be pushed. If I like things to look different for different people, I have to pay the price.

 

I think this IS the way I want to go. I used to have that result and don't think it was any problem

I don't know why the "top answering" should be tied to quoting the message being replied to UNLESS they only mean leaving it in the reply


Thanks to all for the multiple replies.

 

You have to remember when dealing with multiple recipients (eg forums) they may have several threads to deal with sometimes days apart, should they have to scroll down to remind them of the issue (particulary if you're asking for help)?

As I said before 1-1 it's acceptable (though not to me) with multiple recipients inline with appropriate cutting is the best way.

Or did you mean not quote at all and leave everybody at a loss?

Edited by Moderator

 

wildfire,

Are you clear that tenbob is referring to his Thunderbird Mail Replies, and not Forums?

 

As he doesn't quote not really

In reality I'm a member of a number of mailing lists where queries can stretch over several weeks at times (to clarify this is by email). I did say 1-1 was almost acceptable but 1 to many then the sender should think about the recipients.

 

I remember the old days (early 90s) when all e-mails were from the top down (oldest at top - new entries added to bottom). Then Outlook came along and Microsoft had its own way of doing things.

Surely the problem isn't whether you use "oldest at top" or "oldest at bottom" - both are acceptable - but rather that you are consistent with the rest of the message. So in a debate, if the rest of the replies have been adding to the bottom, you should always add to the bottom. If replies have been put above the original then you should always reply at the top.

What is a pain is when someone ignores what everyone else has done and just adds their comment where they usually put it.

Oh and I should add, I actually prefer new at the top.

 

For the "old" Netscape users, bottom positing was mandatory on all Netscape News Groups. This was requested so that readers wouldn't have to reread the entire thread. It became habitual, and I still bottom post, even in email.

 

I used to bottom post because of the Netscape newsgroups rule. But, after I stopped frequenting those groups, I discovered that there are better ways. Typically, I top post, and, often, I reply to particular items, in which case I will bottom post. Thunderbird is great with it the different right click options