On 2006-01-02, Dave Bugg > wrote:
> Those of you who use Google Groups instead of a real newsreader need to
> start quoting a bit of the text you are replying to. Since most newsreaders
> are configured to delete previously read messages in a thread, it appears
> that you are replying to something out of thin air. Please take the time to
> do it right.


Here's some more info on the subject:


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WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Usenet etiquette (or Net Etiquette, or Netiquette) evolved as a way
to insure smooth communication between people using literally
hundreds of different systems, on different hardware.

You see certain message headers a certain way on Google Groups but
that's not the way everyone else sees them. You see certain
threading characteristics in Outlook Express, but that's not the way
everyone else sees them. You may be able to go back and read
articles you've already read in Mozilla Thunderbird, but some
readers "delete" messages by default once they've been read. There
are literally hundreds of thousands of different configurations of
different newsreaders.

In days gone by, it was often the case that you could read the
answer posted on Tuesday before you ever saw the question posted on
Monday. With today's higher network speeds, this is pretty rare,
but it pays to keep in mind that on servers off the beaten track,
it's still possible.

What do you make of a post consisting of the words, "I don't think I
agree in general. Point 3) seems especially nonsensical though I
actually do agree with 5)." Without context, such a post is
completely meaningless. Netiquette helps prevent such lack of
context.

For these reasons and many more, it is a really,
really, really good idea to learn and follow the
rules of Netiquette.

One of the better essays on this subject was posted
to news.newusers.questions. Although it covers e-mail
as well as usenet, it should be a must read for everyone
posting via google. Must read for anyone new to
usenet. Recommended even for old hands:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?P2551276C

For Google users:

You can quote text by clicking "Show Options" before
hitting "Reply." This will include the appropriate
attribution, as well as including the quoted text.

Simple rule to know what to keep and what to snip:
If it clarifies the article when viewed as a stand-
alone post, keep it.
If it clutters the post with extraneous content, lose
it.

When you hit "Post Message" it sometimes takes
while. Be patient. Don't repost when you don't see
your article after 30 seconds.

Remember, Netiquette is, at its root, all about clarity
in communication.

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nb