I was referring to the "greater than" symbol.
I use a newsreader for Usenet. Mine adds a greater than symbol to lines being quoted, even if they already have greater than symbols due to being previously quoted. Newsreaders do this because Usenet culture expects them to. Your software apparently not intended to be a newsreader apparently refuses to add one to a line already having these, even if you are adding a level of quotation. Missing greater than symbols can confuse readers as to who wrote what.
- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)