> I've noticed that you RinkyDinks usually reply to a post by leaving what was already written and writing under it. Example:
>
> >>This is the previous message.
>
> And this is the reply.
>
> * * *
>
> Sometimes you write in the middle of the message, thusly:
>
> >>Blah blah blah blah blah blah, question?
>
> Answer.
>
> >>Blah blah blah.
>
> * * *
>
> I've started to pick this habit up myself. Yet on other forums I'm on they merely delete the entire last message and type away with their own stuff. The whole reason I brought this up is because I want to know why you guys write replies this way, and if you always did. I'm intrigued.

Simply put, it's long been considered proper posting etiquette on the Internet. It stems from old-style BBS and Usenet newsgroups, where often-times the only way you knew what a person was responding to in the first place was by quoting the message they were replying to.

Generally speaking, replying without quoting is a rather annoying habit...it's understandable on message boards where posts are deleted infrequently and all posts in a thread remain visible for as long as the thread is present, but it's still usually easier to address the points made in the previous post if you quote the post and respond directly.

-Trunks (the great debater and usenet jockey)