|Not to mention if a thread gets complicated, so that a person could be
|responding to any one of a dozen messages that speak to different aspects
|of a topic.

Let me add: your mileage (or is it kilometerage?) may vary (and I often
use the DIGEST distribution).  On the lists that I frequent, a
point-by-point rebuttal is not required, though when it is, then of
course some sort of intelligent quoting is required.

Most folks don't: it's just easier for THEM to REPLY with the entire text
regardless of levels of quoting, and who quoted who.

There is no one right way to do.

/Pete