Re: [libreoffice-users] [OT Top/Bottom posting] Re: Sun Weblog Publisher broken

On Wed, 1 Jun 2011 10:52:42 +0100 (BST)
Tom Davies <tomdavies04@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi :)
> I don't think there are people arguing that top-posting MUST be the
> ONLY way. On the contrary, we are pointing out that if the product is
> to be used by more people than are currently using it, especially if
> we want office workers to use it, then we have to be prepared for
> many of those to be unused to bottom posting.

Um, the developer community runs the list. They don't have to, but they
do. They provide a product for free. They provide a forum for help, for
free. I would risk the statement that it is their privilege to lay down
the general rules and ask people to adhere to them. After all, it's
their list.

> I am sick of this argument.  I have never been so brow-beaten or
> bullied in the supposedly Open world that supposedly encourages
> free-thinking and diversity. Instead it seems that LibreOffice is
> very restrictive, at least on the users list if nowhere else.  Is
> Libre about freedom or about restrictions? Regards from
> Tom :)

OK, a low-brow explanation; idea stolen from Dave Barry. You don't
go to a "smooth jazz & fancy fingerfood" party and start farting. Not
because it is explicitely forbidden by some law, but because most
people at such a party are not particularly keen on hearing and
smelling fart. What's more, if you do go and start farting, they might
ask you not to do it. Now, one possibility is to argue with them that
it is your unalienable human right to fart wherever and whenever it
pleases you and if they don't like it then they are oppressive fascists
tyrants, enemies of freedom and so on. The alternative possibility is
to realise that it is not your party and simply stop farting.

Naturally, you can organise an alternative, "the skunks will beg for
the recipe" farting party and frown upon any guest who as much as
twicthes the nose, let alone starting to spray industrial strength air
freshener around. Indeed, you'd have every right to feel offended is
that guest with the freshener also lectured you that your not liking
the spraying on your party is restrictive beghaviour, against diversity
and free-thinking and it is positively bullying.

By the way, some 20 years ago I thought that this whole top-posting
nonsense was sorted out once and for all after a handful of really
massive flame wars on USENET, crossposted all over the place and people
getting so sick and tired of the whole thing that they plonked anyone
even raising the issue again. Gee, was I wrong or what. It's like a
phoenix, gets up again and again. Damned scary, really.

Zoltan

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