There is something about being alone in your room with just your computer that makes people act out in the same way that people develop road rage in their cars. We are seperated from other human beings and that enables us do and say things that none of us would ever consider if we were face to face. And I think that would be true of even some of the worst of us here.
And lets face it. A cyber community like the Mudcat will often attract people that are not out living a real life. And the only way they can insure that they attract attention to themselves is to act out like a two year old. Better bad attention than no attention at all.
I think it would be a mistake to compare the Mudcat to the real world folk community.