In a message dated 99-10-28 00:48:50 EDT, Stephen Nowlin wrote: << As confusing as it is to have lengthy scrolls through line after line of quoted material, it can also sometimes be confusing to read a reply that has no reference at all to the original posting. >> I certainly agree with this. The only thing worse than (a) lengthy quotations combined with lengthy new messages or (b) new messages imbedded within lengthy quotations is (c) no context at all. Sometimes after a thread has extended through many messages, all with the same subject line, someone will toss off a one-liner, such as "Me, too," "I couldn't disagree more completely," or perhaps "You're out to lunch." I can easily ignore these as mere meaningless murmurs in a crowd, but when a particularly pithy or clever-sounding note appears without a direct reference, the enigma can drive me up the wall, as I usually have deleted the preceding messages by that time. David Haberstich ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).