I'll add, probably much to Shal's dismay, that the trend toward "automating everything" just results in more and more and more having to be automated because users are never taught how to do simple things themselves.

If there exist, and I do not doubt that there do, interfaces that do not allow trimming of quoted content the solution to that is to ask for an interface change.

For myself, and many others, we want to select what we wish to keep or remove and not have software second guess that for us.? I have, on occasion, had quoted material 4 and 5 levels deep, though generally short segments, because it was necessary, in my opinion, to keep it for context and continuity.

I actually do not get, at any level, the resistance to trying to teach netiquette seems to get from many quarters these days.? Every context where written communication is the norm has conventions, and e-mail lists and online forums are no different.? There really are things that an individual should be expected to know and consider and, if they don't, be advised - nicely and delicately at the outset - that they need to do so.? It's really not too much to ask, it's the minimum that should be expected after a very short period of time - read: weeks at most - in the online forum/e-mail list world when it comes to common points of nettiquette.

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