Latest change: Mon Oct 13 16:45:00 CEST 2003
Definition: The "attribution" is the text that precedes quoted text which has been included in responses (followups and replies).
An attribution should
Latest change: Mon Oct 13 16:45:00 CEST 2003
Definition: The "attribution" is the text that precedes quoted text which has been included in responses (followups and replies).
An attribution should include both the name and address so it is possible to refer to the correct person. This page is simply pointing out this simple and useful fact.
Please point others at this page so they might configure their user agent (mailer/newsreader) properly. Thankyou!
This page is available at these addresses:
BlackList of Silly Attribution Quotes:
| CrossPoint | Firte Free Agent | Outlook Express | slrn | Pseudo-Funny | VM
* FirstName LastName <Address>: > quoted text quoted text quoted text > quoted text quoted text quoted text > quoted text quoted text quoted textThis attribution contains the name and the address. No more, no less.
If the name+address is short then there might be enough space to add the date and time in a short form, too:
* FirstName LastName <Address> [yymmdd hh:mm]: > quoted text quoted text quoted text > quoted text quoted text quoted text > quoted text quoted text quoted textRemember: *One* line suffices for the attribution!
Here is how you can set up your program or attributing the sender with name+address;
program: mutt setupfile: $HOME/.muttrc command: set attribution="* %n <%a> [%(%y%m%d %H:%M)]:" program: slrn setupfile: $HOME/.slrnrc command: set followup_string "* %r <%f>:" set reply_string "* %r <%f> [%n]:" (the "%n" cites the newsgroup name. it's nice to see the newsgroup name in email replies.) program: TheBat setupfile:... command: * %OFROMNAME <%OFROMADDR> [%ODATESHORT %OTIME]: program: VM (Emacs) setupfile: $HOME/.vm command: (setq vm-included-text-attribution-format '"* %F <%f> [%d/%M/%y %H]:\n")
But which time format is the best?
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS 2000-04-06 12:07:00
* Leutheusser-SchnarrenbergerQuite often, however (as with the previous example), the NAME+ADDRESS is long because the name is actually a part of the address. In this case we might as well drop the redundant NAME and simply cite the ADDRESS which also gives some space for date+time again:
* Sabine.Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger@bundestag.de [510726 12:00]: > waaahhh!I have yet to see a *regular* name and normal address that does not fit into an 80 char line, though. Examples, anyone?
Message-ID: <Pco46.45910$Es2.email@example.com> En Sven Guckes schreef het volgende:Now, I can guess what it says - but it sure looks strange when the attribution is in Dutch and the text in the body of the message is written in English.
I used to remove those "introductory novels" - but now I'll just present some of them here. "enjoy!"
If you find any of your own silly attribution texts here then do not bother asking me to remove it. After all, some good bad examples are required for the other users out there. Hope you understand. ;-)
X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 120 In einer eMail vom 08.11.01 03:56:24 (MEZ) Mitteleuropäische Zeit schreibt guckes@domain:German text, full date with *descriptive* text of the time zone, address - but no name.
010129 Message-ID: <7unQevTu9TB@kannofant.de> X-Newsreader: CrossPoint [XP2] v3.30.019 Beta DOS/16 R/C17726, via NNTP Wat hat firstname.lastname@example.org (Wieland Weiß) in "HTTP-Proxy und Komma: Mail-Service, Erreichbarkeit" jesagt?
The default for the attribution with FFA seems to be "On %Date%, %From% wrote:" which obviously includes *full copies* of the respective header lines (talk about overkill).
Maybe that's why even the most silly attributions seem "short" compared to the default. *sigh*
From: André° R. Mastel <email@example.com> Newsgroup: de.alt.rec.ascii-art Subject: Re: -.-;-:-(-0-@ Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 11:06:23 +0100 Message-ID: <firstname.lastname@example.org> X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.8/32.548 Am Thu, 04 Jan 2001 07:27:28 +0100, meisselte Jens Reißenweber in <9318l1.3vv6b1n.2@ID-65.user.dfncis.de> ins Brett:
From: ****************** (***** *********) Newsgroups: de.alt.rec.ascii-art Subject: Re: Lodoss Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 20:59:45 GMT Organization: Hotel Engelbracht Message-ID: <email@example.com> X-Posting-Agent: Hamster/126.96.36.199 X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.21/32.243 Als Andreas Brosche in die Tasten hub, entstanden dabei folgende Worte, die in die Weiten des U-Nets entlassen wurden:
From: ****************** (***** *********) Newsgroups: de.alt.rec.ascii-art Subject: Re: Test Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2000 11:35:02 GMT Organization: Hotel Engelbracht Message-ID: <firstname.lastname@example.org> X-Posting-Agent: Hamster/188.8.131.52 X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.21/32.243 Und André° R. Mastel maltretierte sein Keyboard mit folgenden Worten die er uns nicht vorenthalten wollte:The group rec.ascii-art was known for "funny" things, and de.alt.rec.ascii-art seems to have copied it. And just beware of posts from "webmasters" and "root"...
From: email@example.com (Benjamin Weila