Tansy (if you're still around here, and see this after 2-1/2 years), you said, in part:

Obviously, I violated some "rule" that exists here.

and later,

I'll not bring anytthing like this up again. My apologies.

and then again

I can see that I've made some horrible Mudcat Etiquette misstep here to provoke such a response.

Not so, Tansy. There are no set etiquette rules around here. I think you may have overreacted to Malcolm Douglas's suggestion, which I think he phrased fairly mildly and politely, (at least in the Mudcat context) and certainly not as angrily bashing you.

Your question was perfectly fine. Had you given a little more of the history, in sort of shorthand terms such as Nerd suggested, it would have been nice, and helpful, but relax a little. Your question, as I said, was perfectly appropriate even without the amplification.

Given your background as well as this particular question, I do hope that you have stuck around long enough to read this. A belated welcome aboard!

Dave Oesterreich