Joe Offer:
"If adults can't behave in a civil manner on their own, I don't think there's much I can do to force them to behave.
Can anyone convince me there's a better alternative?"

There have been plenty of civil, mannerly posts in this thread. It's just hard to see the reasonable conversation when it's slathered in festering shit. That shit is being spread by a handful, NOT by everyone involved in this tangled thread.

If the Mudcat Leadership is truly interested in improvement, there are plenty of members here who would probably be glad to offer their suggestions.
The question is, how in the world could that conversation take place? The biggest question is whether that conversation would even be Wanted..and my guess is that the answer to that would be that maybe it would be a good idea..but we'd need to sit around wringing our hands for a while longer.

I think you are a pretty nice guy and that you make an effort to behave as decently as you can. Being a moderator here can't be much fun, and nobody with a lick of sense would envy the position.

This is not an inherently bad thread. It has twisted and mutated, but it's managed to hit over 400 without bunch of hair-pulling over the WIF nonsense. The part that IS bad is the poison and hatred being flung about for no reason other than sheer meanness.

Yes, there are alternatives.
I'd bite out my eyeballs before I'd attempt to discuss them in an unmoderated conversation.

I know it sucks trying to oversee a bunch of bratty jerks..but I also know that you have leadership skills and an ability to see your way through to a sensible path IF you were interested.

Thanks..sorry for the rant, but I do appreciate the ability to address it directly to you in the open thread knowing that you'll run across it one of these days.

You're NOT the only nice guy here. A lot of us are nice and this place doesn't have to be such a dirty playground.

Take care,
Melissa