Quoting, attribution, etc.

[Steve]

bboyminn:

I've been in the HP for... groups for a long long 
time, many years, and we, especially in the main HP 
for Grownups Group have standards. Yes, those standards 
are more ridged than most groups, but they work, they
keep the discussion orderly and organized.

Let's use your current post as an example... shame 
...shame, your post falls far short of the exceptable 
standard for any of the HP groups.

The standard format is ---

> You said (this is, your name here):
>
> Blah blah blah
> etc etc etc
> so on and so forth


I said (that is, my name here):

Yada yada yad
Piddly poodly pump
etc etc etc

Now in the next paragraph, I should and do identify 
you again even if I have to cut and paste your name 
at the top of the paragraph.


> You said next (your name here):
> 
> Talk talk talk
> ramble ramble ramble
> Pondificate pontificate pontificate
> etc etc etc


I said (my name again):

Yada yada yada
Every good boy does fine.
All cows eat grass.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

To make it clear, let's use a section of your post



--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Jordan Abel" 
random832 at ...> wrote:
>
> ...
> 
> > Ceridwen Keeley:
> >
> > This is Vexxy Elf.  I was surprised to see the term 
> > 'smart-ass' in your recent post:...

> Jordan Abel:
>
> I've actually never perceived the term as an insult of 
> any degree of seriousness - cultural misunderstanding, 
> sorry.
> 

bboyminn:

I think I was the one you called a 'smart ass', I wasn't 
too fussed about it.

> > Ceridwen Keeley:
> > 
> > One other point: you did not attribute your responses
> > to yourself.

YOUR NAME AGAIN!!!!

> Jordan Abel:
> 
> I did sign it. I was under the impression that only one 
> or the other was required.
> 

IDENIFY THE PERSON YOU ARE RESPONDING TOO!!!

> > Ceridwen Keeley:
> > 
> > In shorter posts, it is easy to keep track of who 
> > is 'speaking'.  But in longer posts, it can get 
> > confusing, especially for our members who use screen
> > readers.  Even with the chevrons!

IDENTIFY YOURSELF AT THE TOP OF ****EVERY PARAGRAPH****!!!

IDENTIFY THE PERSON YOU ARE RESPONDING TO AT THE TOP OF 
***EACH*** PARAGRAPH!!!

> Jordan Abel:
> 
> One would think that a mail reader intended to be used 
> with screen readers would provide special handling for 
> quote markers.
> 

bboyminn:

The problems is, you responded and didn't identify who
you were responding, and when you responded in a later 
paragraph you failed to identify yourself.

That might work when one person is responding to another, 
but when I respond to you it becomes more obsure; there 
are unidentified paragraphs all over the place. Now, when
someone responds to my response, if I haven't identified 
my paragraphs, then all we have are an endless chain of 
unidentified statements, if becomes difficult to figure 
out who said what to who. Yes, it can be done, but why 
should the reader have to struggle because you are too 
lazy to make sure every paragraph, whether it is yours 
or someone else's, is signed. 

What happens in usenet or other forums or user groups 
is irrelevant, part of belonging to the HP groups is 
adhereing to strict posting guide lines that have 
proven themselves productive and effective over many 
many years.

Actually, I've misspoke slightly, I said identify the 
speaker at the top of each paragraph, that's not 
exactly true. Every time some one NEW 'speaks', whether 
you or the person you are responding too, that person 
should be identified.

We do have several blind or sight diminished people here
who use text readers, and you are driving them nuts by 
not signing each and every occurance of a new person 
speaking, regardless of whether the new speaker is you, 
the person you are responding to, or someone they are 
responding to. 

Look at some of the threads in the main group, they are 
dozens of posts long. If each 'speaker' is not identified, 
it becomes next to impossible to determine who said what 
to who. 

Those are the rules.

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn