Quoting long OP's on the first page.

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
a reply to: testingtesting

Member should use thee REPLY button.
Like I did

and not the 'quote' button, like I just did.

I hear ya OP (and Hesate666).

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

That was riveting

I'm pretty sure I'm guilty of doing this and I always feel like a goof right after I do that when I mean to just post a reply. I cannot speak on behalf of all the ATS goons but here is my apology.

I'm sorry bud!

-Alee

a reply to: testingtesting

I have no problem with the idea of quoting an entire post, as long as it breaks down into segments.

For example, if someone writes a long post, its often necessary to break it down into chunks, and answer the post segment by segment. This aids in two key aspects. First, the points to which one is responding, are laid out within ones eyeline, so that one does not have to waste time going back and forth, up and down the page. This means that the issue of the thought, is closer to the time at which the fingers relay it onto the keyboard, which I find aids cohesion in an argument, or in outlining a particular detail. The other aspect is as follows:

With the greatest possible respect to the membership as a whole, folk have a tendency to skim read. I can understand the temptation to permit oneself to do that, but its not necessarily a good idea to do it, especially when the discussion is not merely conversational, but has persuasive elements, or more accurately resembles an actual debate. In these situations, it is necessary to be as clear as possible, not just in terms of ones own delivery of an argument or debating point, but also to be as clear as possible about the nature and content of your correspondents posts. It is also vital in my experience, that people be offered the opportunity to read ones arguments side by side, point against point, so that they can see the flow of the conversation, and indeed the thinking that went into both sides of it.

BUT....

Quoting a post entire, in one block, makes no damned sense at all, not only because, as you rightly say, it wastes space on the page, but also because all one would have to do in order to have the same effect, is hit "Reply", which adds reply tags to your comment, meaning that one could simply click upon the name of the person to whom your response was written, and be taken directly to their post on the topic, allowing a reader to read that post for themselves, assuming they had been unfortunate enough to miss it or overlook parts of it, first time.

a reply to: testingtesting

I am so going to hell for that thread.

originally posted by: testingtesting
So please for my mental health...

If someone were to do an analogy of your mental health it would be the equivalent of a rotten persimmon getting stepped on by a rhinocerous. Long OP's had nothing to do with it.

originally posted by: testingtesting
a reply to: CriticalStinker

Thats why I love ATS we are all weirdos in it together

.

Wait a minute. The fact that we are all weirdos is not to be shared on ATS due to the fear that CNN will find out about us.

Viva la Weirdos!

originally posted by: testingtesting
a reply to: Hecate666

Oooooooooo yup that really gets me goat up.
An example If I may?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Second that example!
www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: testingtesting

I have no problem with the idea of quoting an entire post, as long as it breaks down into segments.

Yeah, but what if within the bodies of text you have massive pictures that take up about half the page? At that point the reference to the picture would be good, but not necessary. I have seen members on here re-size the picture form the OP so that it doesn't hog up space

You don't even have a paragraph!!! lol

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

I think an awful lot depends on the precise nature of the material involved, in a case like that.

Generally speaking I agree, but I can also see where there might be certain situations where quoting a post, plus images COULD be necessary...but those would be pretty far and few between, in my estimation. Resizing is a great habit to get into for stuff like this, and that is a point which I am glad you made, and think needs blasting from the rooftops, out of dirty great big amplifiers!

a reply to: TrueBrit

I feel humbled by your REPLY

It annoys me too! I usually think the poor person doesn't know how to pick out the parts he wants to respond to. So, I think it's mostly dumbassery.

Sometimes it's appropriate though, when the OP is pages and pages behind and there is a reason for it.

originally posted by: neo96
There should be a law that forces content creators to only have one paragraph!

Unfortunately, some of them do--one paragraph several pages long, the proverbial "wall of text."

originally posted by: testingtesting
a reply to: neo96

Not my point at all.

But it's part of the problem. It's not confined to your narrow perception of it.

a reply to: intrptr

It's not just you.
Nested quotes won't show.

originally posted by: angeldoll
Sometimes it's appropriate though, when the OP is pages and pages behind and there is a reason for it.

Even in that case, it is not only unnecessary, but robs from the flow of the thread.
It would be different if you could not see the post, but all oe needs to do is click on the member name.