[TAG] Composing E-mails: gentle hints.

[Thomas Adam]

Dear All,

This is just a quick reminder really to those who are 'old hats' here. For
those of you who have just joined us, can I *please* ask you to look at
the following URL:

http://linuxgazette.net/tag/members-faq.html

Inside it you will find the section about e-mail markup. Please, pay
particular attention to it. I have noticed that many of you indent
relevant sections such as quotes:

blah blah info info, and I quote:
        some quote blah blah
        more quote

contine with e-mail

While this is "ok" for the querent, it makes life a darn site harder for
those that have to process it. If you have something that needs quoting or
to be left as is use `` '' or ``` '''. Similarly for delimiting program
blocks:

---------------------
#!/bin/bash
program code
---------------------

is also a major pain in the arse as well. If you have code, please, please
delimit it with the ====SNIP HERE =========== construct (again, see the
URL). Otherwise I have to try and determine progmatically what is what.
Note that if it is a small one-liner code then delimit it with `` ''. The
====SNIP HERE======= is only used to shunt the code to a file.

Some of you also seem to quote fine, but not leave a gap. Here's an
example of a bad quoted e-mail and consequent reply:

> blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahblah blah v=blah blah 
> blah blah blah blahblah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah 
> blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah 
> blah blah
My reply starts here.

Please, could you put a gap between each part:

> blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahblah blah v=blah blah 
> blah blah blah blahblah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah 
> blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah 
> blah blah

My reply starts here.

I know it sounds picky, but visually it really does help when it comes to
marking these scripts up. 

I have been working very hard behind the scenes in automating this markup
process and to an extent it is working. All that is needed now is closer
attention to markup hints in your replies to try and save hassle.

Please? 

Thanks,

-- Thomas Adam

=====
"The Linux Weekend Mechanic" -- http://linuxgazette.net
"TAG Editor"                 -- http://linuxgazette.net

"<shrug> We'll just save up your sins, Thomas, and punish 
you for all of them at once when you get better. The 
experience will probably kill you. :)"

 -- Benjamin A. Okopnik (Linux Gazette Technical Editor)


	
	
		
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