You know, it's not a matter of protecting Mudcatters from something that would be too shocking to them. Most of us are adults, and can tolerate a bit of that - especially if we all agree to let stuff like that slip by, and not make a big deal of it. It's the reaction to provocation that creates chaos, not the provocation itself. That's why we ask people not to respond to trolls. We delete the troll stuff when it appears necessary, but I think it's right to expect people to just let a lot of it slip by, ignored.

There's a certain level of chaos where it's impossible for people to carry on a reasonable conversation; and I suppose we have to control that chaos somewhat, so reasonable people can feel comfortable here. Exercising that control is a guessing game, and it's not something that is going to satisfy everybody. I've learned that there are certain people who will never be satisfied with anything, so I do my best to ignore them. We try to edit sparingly, doing just enough to keep the peace. If we get the cooperation of our "regulars," we can get by with a lot less editing. If we have people who turn every untoward remark into a brawl, then we have a problem. There's certainly room for a little verbal sparring here - but the all-out brawls tend to create a mess of everything. If a substantial part of Mudcat becomes a contest to see who can say "cocksucker" loudest, the reasonable people tend to feel uncomfortable and leave.

-Joe Offer-