Unc, as far as people who don't respond appearing to support or condone someone else's words, guilt is one of the things a troll can rely upon here to guarantee people bite.

It doesn't happen often in the groups Jon mentioned, and if it does it usually gets only a small handful of replies before everyone realises the poster is a plonker, then the plonker comes on over to Mudcat. At least If someone asked why no one was stand up and be counted in the fight against an offensive post, I think the reply might be "because it's a troll/flame-bait/windup" or "if you'd like to, feel free."

Having said that, flame wars do frequently happen in newsgroups, but they typically involve an actual subject and not how/why/why not people post. Folks either join in or stay out of the discussions.

Before someone thinks I want to see Mudcat be the same as any newsgroup - I don't. I used to think we had far less anger around this place, and far more respect for others. It doesn't seem like it these days. There is at least as much anger in Mudcat as in newsgroups, and a lot less attempted self control. The flaming is far worse in here, and it hurts a lot more to see someone I think of as a friend doing it than someone I don't know. It hurts a lot worse to hear my friends here calling someone an asshole, no matter who is on the receiving end.

Jack the Sailor, I agree 100% with Mick. The attitude I imagine is that he was pissed off. I don't see any insults, but then, we're different people with different imaginations.

I apologise for the "same shit/different day" nature of this post. I'm not sure anyone read this opinion the first time I posted it, nor the tenth. I'm also not sure how many of the people I think of as friends understand or ever care about what I have to say.

I don't want daddy to make the bad people go away. I don't want to hear "post here" or "don't post there." I'd love it if we could just ignore the things we don't like and lavish our time and attention on the things we do. I'd love it if we learned the simple thing almost all children learn, and quit playing with the bad influences and bullies.

A final thought, from Babylon 5 (and quoted there from someone who's name I can't remember): the first rule of fanaticism is, when you're obsessed with something, you eventually become that thing. Many of us seem obsessed with flamers.