# Anyone else annoyed by all the nested quotes? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 24, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321 "2010-08-24T18:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/61 "2010-08-26T03:15:56Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > They’re a great time and effort saver when involved in a mildly complicated thread or one in which the quoted material is not easy to find (i.e., off-board content) or within close proximity. But, more often, they create extra work by including a quote that I don’t want/ > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I’d still like to find a thread or two complaining about nested quotes from before Vbulletin broke the functionality. But that was before the better way if doing things was introduced. Being able to pick the posters I want to quote is better than having the quote forced on me. > [@acsenray](#): > > Unnecessary nested quoting is no different than unnecessarily excessive quoting in general. But it is. It creates more unnecessary quoting by default. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/62 "2010-08-26T03:29:03Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Someone needs to figure out who’s dumb idea this was and punch him. :mad: [Punchbug!](http://xkcd.com/392/) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/63 "2010-08-26T03:46:53Z")
Only bad people like nested quotes. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/64 "2010-08-26T03:58:01Z")
OK, in the original thread where someone we won’t name (punch) suggested this, I weighed in as favoring it. Now that we’ve been using them for a while, I’ve decided that I hate nested quotes. It was easier to make them myself, when I needed them (punch), than it is to get rid of them (punch) when they are not useful. Plus, of course, too many people are editing them incorrectly, so, like **Oakminster** said, apparently attributing the quote to the wrong person. Please, can we go back to the “no nested quotes” we had before someone (punch) suggested them? (punch again) BTW, I hate long necked mammals, now (punch, punch). (I have your cat, and I’m going to punch it to death…) ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/65 "2010-08-26T04:05:32Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Fuck yes! Nested quotes need to be taken out back and shot! No, they need to be _ **punched** _, and so does a certain long-necked mammal. (punch, punch) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/66 "2010-08-26T04:21:25Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > It’s really just personal preference. One isn’t really all that much “better” than the other. Except that you don’t have to use multi-quotes now if you don’t want to. On the other hand, every time I reply to a post that has a quote in it, I have to work to remove the nested quote, even though I never chose that option. If there was a way to make it a choice when replying, I wouldn’t be arguing against it. I’m arguing against it because it’s forced upon me. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/67 "2010-08-26T04:34:37Z")
These days half the time I’m posting from a mobile device on which it is relatively easy to delete unwanted material but practically impossible to constucr multinested quotes from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/68 "2010-08-26T04:41:48Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > … OK then, I’ll rephrase my statement: > I’d like to find a thread or two complaining when the mutli-quote feature was introduced, saying that the nested quoting feature was so much better. I’m sure that all the people complaining were just complaining because they reflexively grouse when a new feature is introduced. Can we start the complaint thread retroactively? ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/69 "2010-08-26T04:59:32Z")
> [@](#): > > We > > > [@](#): > > > > really > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > need > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > to > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > punch > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > long- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > necked > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > mammal > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > who > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > suggested > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > this… > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > punch > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > punch! (punch, punch!) ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/70 "2010-08-26T08:30:22Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > We > > (punch, punch!) We can punch his head from the top of the pyramid you made! ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/71 "2010-08-26T15:18:37Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > I am amused by the people who screw up their editing and then complain about how it makes them look stupid. Don’t they preview their posts? Or at least look at what came out the end… and then use their \*five-minute \*window to fix it. I’ve done that a time or two. > [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > If there was a way to make it a choice when replying, I wouldn’t be arguing against it. I’m arguing against it because it’s forced upon me. Exactly. The best option would be if we allowed users to individually select whether posts they quote contain a layer of nesting or not (e.g., in our settings page). I doubt that functionality exists, though. > [@acsenray](#): > > These days half the time I’m posting from a mobile device on which it is relatively easy to delete unwanted material but practically impossible to constucr multinested quotes from scratch. Too bad. Post from a real computer instead of causing everyone else massive additional hassle to make your own life easier. > [@Autolycus](#): > > We can punch his head from the top of the pyramid you made! I’d say it’s more of a ziggurat. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/72 "2010-08-26T15:22:33Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Too bad. Post from a real computer instead of causing everyone else massive additional hassle to make your own life easier. Same to you, bub. “Real computer”? This is the future. All websites are going to be redesigned to take into account the preferences of mobile device users. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/73 "2010-08-26T15:29:12Z")
I’m curious which way people would lean if they could enable or disable nested quoting for themselves, so [I made a poll](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575923). Note that it’s public. Personally, I’d disable nested quoting for myself. The times when I have to strip out the quotes vastly outnumber the times when I leave them in, and I have absolutely no problem manually creating the quotes when I find them necessary (i.e., when I think someone reading the thread won’t remember what was said two posts back because the post I’m directly replying to is \*so \*incredibly vague). ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/74 "2010-08-26T16:59:39Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > Can we start the complaint thread retroactively? Sure. Please get in touch with Dr. Emmet Brown, Hill Valley, California. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/75 "2010-08-27T00:25:11Z")
**Rhythmdvl** said: > [@](#): > > That this is how it _should_ work is based on it’s ease of use compared to manually creating posts. That some posters are that slow that they can’t figure out what parts to cut means they certainly couldn’t figure out what parts to manually add. EXACTLY MY POINT! There is no reason why quotes are required. Even here, I could have just made a reference to post 48. If someone doesn’t know how to code to add a quote, they will work around it or learn how. But if they don’t know how to code, they figure they don’t need to - they’ve got a handy quote button that will do all the work, and then just add whatever they want to say. But that just means reiterating **entire** posts, which is almost always ridiculous. Far better the person knows that he doesn’t know how to code so doesn’t try than to know he doesn’t know how to code but doesn’t care because he has a button. And that happens even without nested quotes. Look, I’ve been manually quoting things for forever anyway. I’ve only recently started using the multiquote feature, but still do extensive code changing because I _ **HATE** _ that the default quote format when attributing the quote through the board feature is in _italics_. For me, there’s going to be coding whether there’s a nested quote or not. But I don’t find the arguments that nested quotes are better to be convincing. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/76 "2010-08-27T00:49:05Z")
**Irishman** , just curious, how _did_ you get that quote to be in normal type rather than italics? Is it just the way it works when you manually code a quote? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/77 "2010-08-27T01:45:53Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > **Irishman** , just curious, how _did_ you get that quote to be in normal type rather than italics? Is it just the way it works when you manually code a quote? > [@](#): > > **Irishman** , just curious, how _did_ you get that quote to be in normal type rather than italics? Is it just the way it works when you manually code a quote? If all you do is \\ (with square brackets), it puts the stuff inside in normal type. If you do \\, which is the default when you quote someone, it italicizes. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/78 "2010-08-27T02:13:21Z")
Right. I often do quotes like that but had never noticed the change in formatting. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321/79 "2010-08-27T14:37:03Z")
Yeah, the default italics are annoying, but IMO it’s worth it for the breadcrumb links. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-annoyed-by-all-the-nested-quotes/551321.md?page=3)