Editing included text

From: Mark J Bradakis (mjb(at)spitfire.cs.utah.edu)
Date: Tue Jul 02 1996 - 19:16:50 CDT


A week or two ago, I was cleaning up the MG digest, and sent a message
to the MG list asking folks to put some effort into editing the text they
include with their replies. Though it shouldn't come as a surprise to me,
a fair number of folks seemed to have no idea what I was talking about.
So, I'll explain myself with some examples from the various lists. I won't
include the one from the triumph list where a digest subscriber sent in two
or three lines of comment, followed by the *entire* 60,000 chars of the
digest in his reply.

In the examples below, the line and char counts are probably not absolutely
exact, but close enough to illustrate my point. And my point is that it
would be nice if you folks would put some effort into not having unnecessary
volume being added to the size of the list mailings. Sure, it seems like
only a dozen or wo people are on the big lists, since they are the only ones
who submit messages, but the big lists have around 1,000 entires. An extra
10K of chars per day on each of these lists starts to add up.

One night I shrunk the tigers digest from 85,000 to just under 50,000.
Person A sent a message. Person B replied, with all of Person A's mail
included. Person A then responded to that, with all of Person B's message
included, which of course had the orignal message in it. Then Person B
replied to A's reply, which included the original message, B's reply, A's
reply to that and then B's latest reply. And then A chimed in again, etc.

So maybe with some education of the list members, I'll go from spending 15
hours a week cleaning up "mailbox full" errors to only 14.9!

mjb.

----

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Example 1: (The infamous "Me too" message) 29 lines, 970 chars

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>*** Resending note of 06/24/96 16:13 > >>"Bruce A. Krobusek" wrote: >> >>> Was there ever a consensus regarding the SOLers getting together at >>> one place and at one time at VTR in Albany? If so, could someone fill >>> me in as to the wheres and whens? If not, should we try to set >>> something up? > >To which Ken Streeter replied: > >>I don't know that anything was decided, but would be looking forward to >>this, too! > >By then *I'll* probably be ready for a break too! I'm just not up for >organizing ANYTHING else right now. If someone wants to coordinate something >I'll be happy to answer questions about available or convienent locations. > >So far we have Bruce, Ken, Jamie Palmer, Andy Mace and me. I would guess >that Bob Bownes, Mark B, John Lye, and Chris Kantariev would be up for >it too. Any others? > >Rik, chairing this thing is enough to do, Schlierer > > > Count me in too.

Ralph Jannelli

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What *could* have been sent, 3 lines, about 30 chars:

Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 14:31:36 -0400 (EDT) From: rjannelli(at)uncc.campus.mci.net (Ralph Jannelli) Subject: Re: SOLers at VTR

Count me in too, I'll be at VTR.

Ralph Jannelli

*** Example 2, 60 lines, 1486 chars:

Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 09:47:36 -0500 From: tom.wagner(at)Central.Sun.COM (Tom Wagner - Program Manager) Subject: Re: The fancy cursor is available!

Jeffrey:

Is this a program for PC's only or will it work on Unix boxes also???

Let me know.

Thanks

Tom Wagner

`67' MGB (Various stages of restoration - All Paint removed to metal, working on rust removal.) Waiting for day to become daily vehicle.

`92' Honda Civic LX(Excellent car)

`93' Honda Civic CDX(Moms car)

Sun Microsystems Sun Service Division - Program Manager Phone: 713-964-7068 Email: tom.w.wagner(at)Central.Sun.com

> From mgs-owner(at)autox.team.net Thu Jun 20 09:39 CDT 1996 > Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 09:36:15 -0500 > From: Jeff Fayne <fayne(at)mcs.com> > Mime-Version: 1.0 > To: "Jason F. Dutt" <simjason(at)ix.netcom.com> > Cc: mgs(at)autox.team.net > Subject: Re: The fancy cursor is available! > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Jason F. Dutt wrote: > > > > Hello, and thanks to all who showed interest and/or offered to > > help in making this little creation of mine available. > > > > You can download the MG Rotating Insignia at: > > http://www.team.net/sol or download it directly from FTP at: > > ftp://ftp.team.net/sol > > Actually it's at ftp://ftp.team.net/mgs > > > > > The file name is mglogo.zip. Unzip it into a temporary directory > > and read the readme file for installation instructions. > > > > Regards, > > > > Jay > > -- > Jeffrey Fayne - Systems Engineer fayne(at)mcs.com > INX International Ink Co. http://www.inxink.com > 1130 Howard St. Elk Grove Village,IL 60007 > (847)364-7774 x23 (847)364-7825 FAX >

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What *could* have been sent, maybe 10 lines. I won't get into overly long signatures in this message.

Jeffrey:

Is this fancy cursor program for PC's only or will it work on Unix boxes also???

Let me know.

Thanks

Tom Wagner tom.w.wagner(at)Central.Sun.com

*** Example 3, 45 lines, 1,264 chars.

Date: Tue, 25 Jun 96 20:33 EST From: Bill Georgas <0005419627(at)mcimail.com> Subject: Re: TR6 Tunnel Cover Question

Ken,

I installed one of these a couple of months ago. Much better than the disintegrating old piece, but a real trial to install. I believe the tab you mention is supposed to be an attachment point under or inside of the cover.

Good luck,

Bill '72 TR6

Date: Tue Jun 25, 1996 08:47 am CDT Source-Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 09:43:14 -0400 From: KMNTR6 EMS: INTERNET / MCI ID: 376-5414 MBX: KMNTR6(at)aol.com TO: triumphs EMS: INTERNET / MCI ID: 376-5414 MBX: triumphs(at)autox.team.net BCC: * Bill Georgas / MCI ID: 541-9627 Subject: TR6 Tunnel Cover Question Message-Id: 11960625134711/0003765414DC4EM Source-Msg-Id: <960625094312_142387117(at)emout13.mail.aol.com> U-Sender: owner-triumphs(at)triumph.cs.utah.edu Hi All-

I am having the engine of my 1974 TR6 rebuilt, so while it's out (along with the interior) I decided to replace the cardboard gearbox and tunnel covers with the new "space age plastic" ones.

The question: at the center back of the tunnel there is a metal tab with screw to attach the cover at it's highest point? Does this tab go inside, on top, or somewhere else on the tunnel cover. Is the tab bent down, up or straight out? It looks like it's the tab that a courtesy light could have been attached to on earlier TR6s.

Thanks Ken Nachman Richmond Triumph Register 1957 TR3 1974 TR6

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

An example of one way to edit the reply, without losing the original train of thought:

Date: Tue, 25 Jun 96 20:33 EST From: Bill Georgas <0005419627(at)mcimail.com> Subject: Re: TR6 Tunnel Cover Question

Ken Nachman writes:

I am having the engine of my 1974 TR6 rebuilt, so while it's out (along with the interior) I decided to replace the cardboard gearbox and tunnel covers with the new "space age plastic" ones.

The question: at the center back of the tunnel there is a metal tab with screw to attach the cover at it's highest point? Does this tab go inside, on top, or somewhere else on the tunnel cover. Is the tab bent down, up or straight out? It looks like it's the tab that a courtesy light could have been attached to on earlier TR6s.

Ken,

I installed one of these a couple of months ago. Much better than the disintegrating old piece, but a real trial to install. I believe the tab you mention is supposed to be an attachment point under or inside of the cover.

Good luck,

Bill '72 TR6



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