Deckman, several years ago in a similar situation I suggested the same proposal you made. Someone - I think, McGrath of Harlow- gently reminded me that if we all do that, the offending party(ies) may be motivated to post in every thread, in order to shut down the entire Cat. Needless to say, we didn't do it.

Whoever reminded you obviously have a better idea that was put into place and which HAS worked then??????*Smiles* We do have a better plan now Ebbie. Entire threads will be closed or deleted because our volunteers do not see that they should take the time to edit only the posts they judge to be too offensive to remain.

As pointed out - the suggestion works for Deckman. It works for me and it plainly works for the vast majority of contributors. It must do for if they all felt the need to respond in kind or respond at all - the whole forum would be very quickly lost to everyone. These folk are at this moment posting away quite oblivious of all this........

People who do respond to our vandals, especially those who respond in kind, owe the rest 'big time' for allowing them the space for their self-indulgence to feed and encourage the monkeys. It is too the great credit of the majority that they do not follow the example set by our volunteers and certain favoured posters who consider that they alone can make offensive personal attacks upon other posters, and still maintain the moral high ground.

If our volunteers are now publicly stating that from this point they will not indulge in this offensive public responding in kind (no matter how provoked and under attack or on trial they may feel) there maybe some hope. Are they now prepared to set this far better example than the one set in the past?

Our volunteers fight to protect us from personal attacks does not protect us from personal judgement and attacks from our volunteers - like the following few selected examples from Joe Offer.

Shambles, go whine somewhere else, or maybe we should start threads about you and the sheep or something.

But Shambles believes in this sort of thing, so I think that maybe this would be a good opportunity to smear his reputation. Shambles, I'm sick of you and your shit.

Ah, Shambles - we make an exception for you, since you seem to think it's a good thing to have personal attacks. We want to keep you happy, after all. Your whining is so annoying.