#126
Post
by Sid Guttridge » 22 Mar 2021, 19:59
Hi Richard,
You are free to dictate what you choose to respond to, but you can't reasonably expect to dictate how people reply. I have made some 20,000 posts on the internet thus far and yours is the first such complaint. You are asking me to make what is, for me, a major stylistic change at 65 just to accommodate you.
The Italics are almost always quotes. In this case, context is key.
1) The "I did say...." signifies that I posted the first part.
2) The second part is a question. As you were the addressee of the post, this indicates it was addressed to you.
However, I accept that, "In an extended passage it becomes quite confusing.". But then, so does a pile of quotes, within quotes, within quotes, etc., etc. using the Quote facility. No system is perfect.
Using the Quote facility, how would the following sentence from your last post look on the page distinguishing the quotes from the plain text. Would it not be broken up into four lines?:
"I'll give it a go at some stage....." is you, but "...... neither can I be bothered to edit out your italicized passages" is me.
If you can think of a significantly better way to convey assent than "I quite agree", I will happily consider it. (Not a few people might well wish that all my posts were so mercifully brief!)
You post, "I have been trying to respond clearly and concisely here for some years." Indeed you have and I have no complaints on that score.
You ask, "Why should I be bothered....?". Perhaps because the post might have content worth addressing, despite its mode of delivery?
Cheers,
Sid.