From: crlee@ns.sympatico.ca 
  
 Gord Beaman wrote: 
 > 
 > Carter  wrote: 
 > 
 > >Gord Beaman wrote: 
 > >> 
 > >> "Nomad"  wrote: 
 > >> 
 > >> >> Allen, your line length is such that your posts are nearly 
 > >> >> unreadable...you might try shortening them some...about 65 seems 
 > >> >> to work fine...if you need help let us know... 
 > >> 
 > >> >No problem here Gord.  What are you using for a reader? 
 > >> 
 > >> Isn't that odd...I'm using Agent and his line length was 
 > >> something like 250 or so, I had to scroll right right right (a 
 > >> lot) for each line then way back to the start for the next one. 
 > >> He did something then it was fine. I see you're using Outlook 
 > >> Express and you didn't get that effect at all...odd... 
 > > 
 > >Odd?  I use Netscape and I didn't get that effect either.  Before he did 
 > >what he did his lines were the correct length, since he did what he did 
 > >his line length takes up only half the width of my screen. 
 > > 
 > >Carter 
 > 
 > I see. So how does the average poster appear to you Carter?. 
  
 About 72 characters in length, depending on font size that's 2\\3 to 3\\4 
 of screen width.  Most people appear to use a font size of 10 or 11. 
 Before you told Nomad he was too wide he was at about 90 characters, 
 that's almost full screen width but not so wide as to invoke the scroll 
 bar. 
  
  I 
 > see most posts ending about midscreen (that's near 65) and I'd 
 > call that 'the correct length'... 
  
 I wouldn't, it wastes half the screen. 
 > 
 > So, as a matter of interest, what (to you) is the 'correct 
 > length'?. 
  
 I'm happy with anything more than mid screen but not so wide as to 
 invoke the scroll bar.  72 characters appears to be the norm. 
  
 BTW most readers have the capability of partially overriding incoming 
 text format and presenting it according to your screen width.  I haven't 
 yet seen one (that doesn't mean it doesn't exist) that will break lines 
 at an even length.  Netscape 4.9, which I use, tends to break long lines 
 unevenly leaving some lines at full screen and some at only a couple of 
 words in length.  It appears to depend on the format of the incoming 
 text. 
  
 Carter 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)