I don't know Amos personally, but from his posts, I know him to be thoughtful and well-informed. He has the courage and incentive to advocate his views strongly, along with plenty of citations and documentation to back up what he says—something that not everybody seems to be able to do.   Some people here on Mudcat who don't share that viewpoint, or perhaps especially Amos's backing up what he posts with documentation, seem to feel impelled to attack him as a person rather than attempt to present rational, well-documented arguments of their own. This is the sort of thing one expects from those who operate on their gut-reactions rather than from positions arrived at through a rigorous thought process.   

That was a cheap shot.

Don Firth