I don't see insults as being a particular issue. When people start to abuse me it is an obvious sign of having no real argument. The insults are blatantly untrue, irrelevant and usually pretty infantile anyway.

I agree with Steve about the anonymous guests although the point about addressing issues and not posters is a good one. However, it is obvious when people are attacking names rather than ideas and, very regularly, things are ascribed to me or Steve or Musket or anyone when it was someone entirely different who said it. I have even seen someone get attacked on a thread that they have had no input to! It gets quite funny at that stage :-)