Choate[SMTP:ravage@einstein.ssz.com] wrote:

Sunder raises a good point about Netscape (and potentially other software as well) amd forwarding URL's with attached content.

Why is the page attached? Because Netscape attaches the page and doesn't offer a way to send only the URL from right click -> send page. There isn't a switch to set default behaviour (and there should be).

Jim: You are not a clueless newbie. Copy a URL out of the URL window of your browser, and paste that into the text of your message. Similarly, cut & paste text, and reformat it appropriately when neccesary. I spend considerable time doing this out of respect for my reader's time (most recently in the post which quoted from 'A Man for All Seasons'). It is, as I have said, common courtesy, and consideration for others. [...]

As to using HTML, this is 2000 (soon to be 2001). Get used to it. Hell, I might start embedding ANSI VT100 color codes and the occassional ^g. Animated ANSI would be pretty cool too. If I get the time I might even install TurBoard and MGE under an emulation and start including NAPLPS graphics while I'm at it. I don't have words to express the frustration I have with straight ASCII text and doing technical work at times (but that's another issue).

If you put in all the doodads you mention, the main effect will be that even fewer people will bother to read your messages.

The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate

"I don't have words to express the frustration I have with straight ASCII text" This sounds like the poor workman blaming his tools. All the great literary works of the last 2000 years were done in flat ascii, but apparently it's too limiting a medium for your subtle insights. I guess the next thing you'll do is dictate your messages, and expect us to listen to your deathless prose in streaming audio (or maybe video :-) What I really think is happening is this: You are a lazy jerk. You don't want to do anything harder than right-click the page in your browser, select 'Send Page', type in 'cypherpunks@einstein.ssz.com' and click 'Send'. This is a good example of 'the tragedy of the commons'. What you do is locally optimzed - it's certainly faster for *you* to send the entire page from Netscape, but you inflict significant costs on the *entire readership* in doing so, since they have to launch browsers, load pages, set cookies, turn up in server logs, run java, run javascript, run ASP, install and run plugins etc. This not only takes extra time, but wastes resources, and compromises the readers security and privacy. Of course, if everyone behaved like you did, the list would grind to a halt. But so long as you're the only one being a jerk, you win. You're pissing where we all drink; even if this is acceptable to you, you are rapidly sending your reputation down the toilet. Why should people give any consideration to your views while you manifestly give no consideration to their time, security, and privacy? Peter Trei