OT: Customizing other people (Was Re: [ltp] email etiquette (was A21p problems))

[FeRD]

Perhaps your software is too old. It sounds like you need to install a 
copy of Thunderbird with the QuoteCollapse extension, which installs a 
bit of chrome magic that automatically turns each chunk of 
original-message text into a collapsible display element, displaying 
only the first line with a standard [+] expansion box to reveal the rest.

It's even endlessly user-customizable (yay chrome), so you can (for 
example -- the config I settled on) opt to have quoted-text displayed in 
full (expanded) by default for the first level, and then levels 2 thru N 
initially displayed as a [+]-box-expandable single line.

Coupled with the QuoteColors extension (individually color-codes each 
level of quoted text), I can use Thunderbird to reconfigure other people 
without their knowledge, which is way easier than getting them to 
change. :)  (See also: the futility of trying to quash "me too" replies 
by force of argument. The delete key is so easy to press...) And now 
that I don't actually have to LOOK at the quoted text, I have to admit I 
kinda like having it right there in the message, should I need to refer 
back.

....I feel sorta dirty saying that, I used to work for one of the 
backbone networks. "Hello, my name is FeRD, and I'm a closet bandwidth 
hog! It's been 24 minutes since my last bloated packet."

-FeRD

P.S> I just like to evangelize good extensions when I find them. There 
are so few, especially for Thunderbird -- tho the S:N ratio is 
admittedly *much* higher than for the browsers.

Vivek Dasmohapatra wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Mar 2006, Bob Hutchinson wrote:
>
> [deleted]
>
> Perhaps I'm too old, and this is no longer taught to people when they
> take up email, but this is a mailing list: There is no need (nor is it
> desirable) to include some 60 odd lines of quoted text to make a 4 
> line reply. We all have the old messages, and can go and look at the 
> original
> either in our own accounts or in an archive if we need to. It is 
> perfectly
> acceptable to trim the message you are replying to down to just a few
> relevant lines when responding. I wasn't going to say anything, but 
> lots of people seem to be doing this lately and it's quite annoying 
> wading through
> the same quoted text over and over again while reading the list...
>
> End Transmission.
>