Nope, because I said *verbatim* - as quotes in Usenet are. If Air
Traffic Control did so, a conversation might be like this:

Pilot: This is flight 206 from Chicago, requesting permission to land.
ATC: This is flight 206 from Chicago, requesting permission to land.
Permission granted.
Pilot: Er.. sorry, I didn't understand that. Have I got permission to
land or did I overhear someone else?
ATC: Er.. sorry, I didn't understand that. Have I got permission to
land or did I overhear someone else? Yes this is Air Traffic Control.
You have permission to land on runway eleven.
Pilot: I'm a bit confused about who you're talking to here! I'm flight
206, who are you?
ATC: I'm a bit confused about who you're talking to here! I'm flight
206, who are you? This is Air Traffic Control.
Pilot: Whaddya mean you're flight 206?! I'm flight 206!!
ATC: Whaddya mean you're flight 206?! I'm flight 206!! Yes, and we are
Air Traffic Control.
Pilot: Aaaarrrggg... <crash>

Huh? Why so? I think it's reasonably clear that trying to compare the
rules of spoken conversation doesn't work when you expect those same
rules to apply in a different medium.

Yes, that's what I said when I talked of the demographics and usage
patterns having changed over the years. Way back when the internet
first 'started', most users were of a similar age, education,
interests etc.. You didn't get teenagers or young kids, grannies,
people from non-technical backgrounds etc.. wanting to just chat about
day-to-day nonsense. These days, the preferences of those users is
just as valid as anyone else's.

I agree entirely.

It *is* right, (although there is a little hair splitting over what is
meant by the Internet).

It's just one of a number of references that anyone who could be bothered
could find with a simple Google. Look, here's another

Are you contesting it, or just being a twat for the sake of it?

Surely that would be DB or DA?

Internet Protocol - and it still does. So what's your point? Before
you get back to me on that, you probably should read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCP/IP

"Note that today's TCP/IP networking represents a synthesis of two
developments that began in the 1970's, namely LAN's (Local Area
Networks) and the Internet".

"The Internet protocol suite came from work done by DARPA in the early
1970s"

"In 1975, a two-network TCP/IP communications test was performed
between Stanford and University College London (UCL).

"In November, 1977, a three-network TCP/IP test was conducted between
the U.S., UK, and Norway"

That's certainly before 1980, wouldn't you say?

Lad, lads, lads.

You're confusing "internet" - abbreviation for interconnected network, the
linking together of different networks. From whence came the internetwork
addressing protocol IP, invented early '70s.

And "The Internet" (note caps) - the largest global implementation of an
internet, probably created around 1983.

Entry copied from Oxford English Dictionary Online:-

Copyright © Oxford University Press 2007
Internet, n.
    DRAFT ENTRY Dec. 2002
Computing.

Brit. /{sm}{shti}nt{schwa}n{ope}t/, U.S. /{sm}{shti}n(t){schwa}r{smm}n{ope}t/
 Also with lower-case initial. [Shortened < INTERNETWORK n., perh. influenced
by similar words in -net (as Catenet (1972), Satnet (1973), Telenet (1973),
etc.) after ARPAnet (a wide area network developed by the Advanced Research
Projects Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, attested from 1971). In
subsequent use denoting the global network, prob. greatly reinforced by use in
the compound Internet Protocol; cf.:
  1996 K. HAFNER & M. LYON Where Wizards stay up Late (1998) viii. 244
Because this growing conglomeration of networks [in the mid 1980s] was able to
communicate using the TCP/IP protocols, the collection of networks gradually
came to be called the ‘Internet’, borrowing the first word of ‘Internet
Protocol’.]

    I. Simple uses.

    1. Originally (in form internet): a computer network consisting of or
connecting a number of smaller networks, such as two or more local area
networks connected by a shared communications protocol; spec. such a network
(called ARPAnet) operated by the U.S. Defense Department. In later use (usu.
the Internet): the global computer network (which evolved out of ARPAnet)
providing a variety of information and communication facilities to its users,
and consisting of a loose confederation of interconnected networks which use
standardized communication protocols; (also) the information available on this
network.
1974 V. G. CERF et al. Request for Comments (Network Working Group)
(Electronic text) No. 675. 1 (title) Specification of internet transmission
control program. 1976 V. G. CERF ARPA Internetwork Protocols Project Status
Rep. ii. 36 We have made very little progress in our attempts to specify
experiments using internet gateways. 1981 Electronics (Nexis) 16 June 171 Two
internet servers connect five local networks for different departments of a
company. 1986 Network World (Nexis) 15 Sept. 21 The electronic mail net runs
over Internet, an international network of networks operated by the Department
of Defense. 1990 L. WALL & R. L. SCHWARTZ Programming Perl vi. 260 Many of the
services provided by servers running on the Internet are simply database
engines. 1991 Profession 91 42/2 Most machines on the Internet run the UNIX
operating system and employ the sophisticated TCP/IP protocol, which supports
remote log-ins and anonymous file-transfer protocols (FTPs). 1996 K. HAFNER &
M. LYON Where Wizards stay up Late (1998) viii. 244 Roughly speaking, an
‘internet’ is private and the ‘Internet’ is public. The distinction didn't
really matter until the mid-1980s when route vendors began to sell equipment
to construct private internets. But the distinction quickly blurred as the
private internets built gateways to the public Internet. 1997 Times 5 Mar.
(Interface section) 7/1 Most tourist services on the Internet can only provide
text and picture data on places of interest. 2000 Dominion (Wellington)
(Electronic ed.) 9 Feb., His name has been published in American newspapers
with a total circulation of 2.5 million and can be easily found on the Internet.

    II. Compounds.

    2. Internet access provider, a commercial company that provides
businesses and individuals with (usually dial-up) access to the Internet; cf.
Internet service provider. Internet addict, a person who uses the Internet
compulsively, excessively, or very frequently. Internet addiction, very
frequent, continual, or excessive use of the Internet; a compulsion to use the
Internet. Internet addiction disorder orig. and chiefly humorous, a supposed
psychological disorder characterized by dependence on, or overuse of, the
Internet, esp. as a means of avoiding problems in other spheres of life.
Internet Protocol, a standard that specifies the format and addressing scheme
of packets of data sent over the Internet or other network; abbreviated IP.
Internet provider = Internet service provider. Internet Relay Chat, a protocol
allowing communication over the Internet between multiple users in real time;
(also) the notional area of the Internet where such communication takes place.
Internet service provider, an organization that provides access to the
Internet, usually on a commercial basis, either via a modem or through a
permanent line, and usually also offers services relating to web sites,
intranets, etc. (abbreviated ISP); cf. Internet access provider, with which
this term is often used interchangeably.
1992 Communications Week (Nexis) 24 Feb. 3 The hearings are in response to
contentions from commercial *Internet access providers such as Performance
Systems International Inc., Reston, Va., that the NSF gave Advanced Network &
Services Inc., Elmsford, N.Y., preferential treatment in awarding it
management and upgrading of the NSFnet backbone. 1996 Daily Tel. 15 Mar. 34/5
To help the bewildered novice, some Internet access providers give a
‘launcher’, which lets users specify what they want to do, and runs the
appropriate piece of software. 1992 Communications Week 30 Nov. 39/4 As an
*Internet ‘addict’ myself, I love to see real-life, everyday benefits to what
is often viewed as another techie tool. 2001 Maine Sunday Telegram (Electronic
ed.) 9 Sept., Experts say more couch potatoes, fast-food diners and Internet
addicts are becoming obese. 1994 Toronto Star 6 Mar. B4/4 Broadhead learned
the hard way how expensive an *Internet addiction can be. 1999 Khaleej Times
(Dubai, United Arab Emirates) 7 Nov. (Features Plus) p. viii/1 Internet
addiction is an all-encompassing phrase for a wide variety of sub-types of
behaviour: they include cyberlibido addiction.., cyber-relationship
addiction.., and net compulsions. 1995 I. GOLDBERG Internet Addiction Support
Group in sci.med (Usenet newsgroup) 16 Mar., *Internet Addiction Disorder
(IAD)-Diagnostic Criteria. A maladaptive pattern of Internet use, leading to
clinically significant impairment or distress as manifested by three (or more)
of the following..[etc.]. 2001 Atlanta Constit. (Electronic ed.) 24 Aug.,
There are warning signs you should know in case you or a loved one are
succumbing to Internet Addiction Disorder, also known as compulsive Internet
use. 1977 Computer Networks 1 183/2 A desired end-end service may be
implemented two ways..end-end controls vs. hop-by-hop controls... Hop-by-Hop
sacrifices some flexibility but partially avoids the need for a common
*internet protocol. 1998 R. DARNELL et al. HTML 4 Unleashed III. xii. 184 The
server is referred to as the resource's ‘network host’ and can be addressed by
either domain name or numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address. 1991 Business
Wire (Nexis) 27 Mar., The CIX agreement can be extended to other commercial
*Internet providers. 1991 Network World (Nexis) 2 Dec. 4 The Boston-based
Federation of American Research Networks, the association of the regional
Internet providers. 2000 Feng Shui for Mod. Living May 12/2 One of America's
most popular internet providers disported [sic] a plethora of special feng
shui links and sites. 1990 J. REYNOLDS & J. POSTEL Request for Comments
(Network Working Group) (Electronic text) No. 1060 12 IRC, *Internet Relay
Chat Protocol. 1991 Byte (Nexis) July 184 A more recent innovation is Internet
Relay Chat, which allows two people on the Internet to communicate in real
time. 1996 Internet World June 104/1, I simply wanted to play Dungeons and
Dragons..over the Internet. I figured that Internet Relay Chat..already was
booming with adventures. 1991 LAN Times (Nexis) 19 Aug. 56 There exist several
commercial *Internet service providers: Alternet, Cerfnet, and PSI Net. 1995
Philadelphia Inquirer 7 Aug. G5/4 The area's two largest Internet service
providers{em}voiceNet and Net Access{em}have Web sites with plenty of local
content, including some pretty cool home pages set up by individuals. 1999
Independent 27 Dec. II. 8/2 Check the dial-up number given to you by your
Internet service provider (ISP) and make sure that's what you entered when you
set up your Dial-Up Connection.

Oh really, you mean you elicited a response? Isn't that what posting is
all about? If you didn't want a reply why post in the first place?

Both times, this and the previous time, I have had to edit your  post in
order for the response to make sense. If you think that's better  then
you have your head up your arse.

But judging by your last reply it's an odds on certainty anyway.

I shouldn't rest it there mate, it'll end up in the lost property office
where it will join the other lost arguments.

What are you talking about?

Any females here who fancy getting my juices going in exchange for same?

;-)

Well I hope it works for you, AFAIC I've already skipped several of your
posts in another thread and shall continue to do so, as I suspect will
many others.

It's not so much "dismiss the comment" as "dismiss the *commenter*"...
It's experience-based pragmatism... In general, those who ignore the
accepted etiquette in a particular newsgroup, and continue so to do
after being reminded of the fact, for some reason rarely say anything
worth reading. As to whether it's a generational or intelligence
problem I don't know. But it's the same in all the groups that I read.

Suit yourself, I doubt they're going to miss you anymore than you'll
miss them. Personally I don't have such a blinkered outlook (pardon
the pun).

Which isn't anything like as bad as it used to be, and has been
reasonably quick (with very little out-of-order and missing messages),
for many years. If you disagree, I suggest you check with your ISP.

Except largely out of date and irrelevant now. Times change.

Y'see I consider moaning at people and trying to insist that they
follow your own preferences is showing a lack of consideration for
others. "Show consideration for me, me, me, by abandoning your own
preferences and adopting mine", is effectively what that asks.

Which is? I'd have thought that if blind, top posting would be the
easiest way to go, rather than trying to find the right spot to insert
new text.

If there's such a gap in your appreciation that leaves you wondering -
yet it's clear that thousands of these people do, can you not also
appreciate that perhaps you don't know the whole picture? Why do you
know better than these thousands of people who prefer top-posting and
don't seem to have a problem with it? Next time you're out in public,
in a town centre, take a look around you. Have a look at what everyone
is wearing and consider whether you'd wear the same stuff. From the
old bloke in a tweed jacket to the chav in the hoodie and bling, to
the teens in their sports gear or the posh bloke with his labels.
They're probably worlds apart in their background and thinking to you,
and yet all these demographics use the internet these days and their
preferences are just as valid as yours. Just don't expect them to
match.

When the input to logical thinking is out of date, then the output
becomes out of date too.

Hi jf,

Being originally a US citizen I should have known of Wilson Follett - but I didn't.
A cursory Google shows that he was specifically concerned with American English.
The brothers Fowler, Gowers', Partridge et al. were more concerned with British English, with which I'm happiest.

I'll try to learn something new again tomorrow!

Take care,
Phil.

And I told you, no.