I recently opted to start using the new Gmail interface for composing messages. I figured that it was inevitable I would get upgraded at some point so I might as well jump on it at a reasonably convenient time rather than find myself faced with it when too busy with other things. By and large it has been a good experience, keeping the appearance up to date. However, I have found the system of quoting rather irksome; the whole of the previous message gets included at the end of my reply so that, without editing, the discussion ends up long and unwieldy.

I have discovered a useful trick though – by selecting part of the original message before hitting reply, it discards all but that part of the original and displays the rest properly quoted. I would prefer that it didn’t take an aptitude for spotting patterns in systems to find that out but, now I have discovered it, thought it worth passing on for others who might have encountered the same frustration.