So we have a situation where some members are deciding to ignore a request and not adress a member using their moniker.
we have mudcat rules which state categorically "You are free to be anything you want EXCEPT be unkind, impolite, argumentative or snooty."
   if members decide to ignore those rules because they decide someone does not deserve respect, they are showing lack of respect for the mudcat forum and other mudcat members
As for so called moderator who states this quote
"When you've been around for a long time and when your reputation precedes you, things are different. It's just the way it is. Scolds and rants under these circumstances just make the complainer look petty"
So a moderator is in effect saying there are mudcat rules for some but not for others, so under certain circumstances mudcat rules can be ignored.
that beggars the question why have a set of rules?.


If you say that someone is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, you mean that they are using stronger measures than are really necessary to solve a problem.
this is not a mixed metaphor, it is an accepted correct phrase used in many dictionaries on the internet, check it out