[snip]
> Mark (trying to figure out where this vertical bar came from)  
>
[snip]
> Tracy  (trying to figure out why I can't change the text color
> when I reply to Al's posts)

   It's a little hard to tell, since I don't post in HTML,
but I suspect that the HTML handler doesn't like top posting
and thinks the additional material is part of the original
message.  Or it might be that Mark put the "whitespace" in
after he had already started replying at the top line (again,
making it part of the original).  He might try putting in a
coupld of blank lines first, then backing up to add text.

   In Tracy's case, I suspect that he didn't put whitespace
below the message before he started adding text.

Dale R.
(and folks wonder why I use plain text)