"In future, if I feel put upon, I will try to remember to check out the person's other posts, learn who they are in context to others before I react. I will offer the same advice to others who contact me with anxieties."

That's not such a bad idea, because there are a lot of people that are hard to identify. Though strong characters are fairly recognisable from their distinctive and consistant style and thus not too tricky to read (implying they are therefore also fairly easy to avoid), there are akin to most fora, still far more anonymous sounding members who while they do not appear to have much of interest (either silly or sensible) to contribute, nevertheless suddenly appear out of seeming no-where for a quite unexpected sarcastic little snipe at someone else.

This is by far one of the the most dull-witted forms of 'contribution' going on any internet forum, and at best implies a complacent self-satisfied contentment with having hung around like a limp sock long enough to have earned the right to ocassionally bitch. It is also cowardly, because these contributers are not only dull, but too nervous to express a genuine thought or opinion about anything, and thereby risk icurring the same reaction upon themselves.

If I get flamed, there are about four ways I tend to deal with it:
The First is by far the most usual and sensible, and involves ignoring and walking away (this is newby me being good).
The Second is referring them to Jane Austen for no-doubt well needed lessons in how to compose a truly witty sarcastic put-down. (me irritated now and offering an open invitation to flame war goto 4) The third is to tell them to "Fuck-Off and go flame someone who actually gives a shit." (annoyed but far too bored for 2, Goto 1)
And the Fourth, by far the most exhausting and childish, is to actively demonstrate what a bore they are by engaging in flame war, verbally pull their pants down and do a little jig around them (only ever engaged in for the sheer bloody minded hell of it of course, and when no longer a newby...)

Most of the Catdudes that I've virtually rubbed up against thus far, have I must say been great. Lots of good humour, lots of positive support for my new interest, lots of friendly welcome.

It is however a shame that some of the most strongly helpful and experience-based advice I recieved for some of my early questions, was via PM's directly to me in order to bypass the childish squabblings in the flaming gallery of the upstairs public forum.

And I've had a few similar PM responses to questions which while I am most thankful for the advice and supportive gestures, it is a pity that the 'flaming gallery' actually undermines its own agenda, which is one might have supposed, to collectively share and exchange constructive thoughts on the subject at hand..? Eh ho!