I think as musicians used to gigging it must be that flamers here make us feel like hecklers do at a gig, and we sometimes try to slap the shit down hard and fast, as we might at a gig, as though an audience is sitting right there next to the unpleasant heckler and will help create an atmosphere that continued heckling will be treated by them as uncool. And then we "audience" try to do that, but we aren't really THERE with the offender, and we can't do what we could in person.

Problem is, this forum does not actually work like a gig. So I can't be sitting next to a heckling guest and help the performer with a distraction to the heckler. And of course we don't have a bouncer, and most of us prefer it that way, too.

And I think the causes of the behavior are different too.

Amergin, it is really hard to host a thread once the shit starts to fly. Iddinnit? None of us have solved it. Maybe you can though, and if not here, that's OK too.

Someone said that doing this sort of thing is like trying to herd wet cats. ~Susan