You may have missed the following editing comments - as these were inserted into existing posts and do not refresh the thread.

Subject: RE: In the UK......? (thread title change complain
From: The Shambles - PM
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 01:49 PM

Do you really think that any organisation that allowed any of its representitives to personally abuse and call their customers names - like 'asshole' and 'idiot' in response to civil requests - be following organisational principles likely to enable any organisation to flourish and prosper?
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I certainly did not intend to refer to anyone in particular with those terms - I referred only to those who act in such a manner. Feeling guilty, Shambles?
-Joe Offer-

And

Careful, Shambles. I did not call anyone such names, although I did indicate that people who engaged in certain conduct might be considered such. You may stretch or misapply my words as you so often do, but I named no names.
-Joe Offer-

We can leave our forum can judge from the evidence......Made in these conventional posts that did refresh the thread.

From: Joe Offer - PM
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 03:28 PM

I also find it an interesting challeng to respond to insults without resorting to insults. Although I guess I have to admit that I have sometimes given in to that temptation, I think I generally do a pretty good job of expressing myself rationally and with good humor..

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Subject: RE: In the UK......? (thread title change complain
From: Joe Offer - PM
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 03:30 PM

You see, Roger, most of us are here to have a good time among friends. All of your adversarial crap is just that - adversarial crap. We volunteers do what we need to do to keep the peace and tidy things up. Nobody's out to offend your right to free speech - but if you insist on making an asshole of yourself, you're likely to be treated like an asshole. Basically, Mudcat is here for enjoyment - not for all this heavy stuff you try to lay on us. You want to play war games, and that's not what we're here for.

No, I really can't defend our editorial actions, and I have no reason to defend anything to an idiot who can make such a big deal about the addition of three little words, "in the UK," to a thread title. We just try to do what we think is right, to make things run a little more smoothly around here. That's basically what Max asked us to do when he gave us editing buttons. And we volunteers don't pretend to sit in judgment over anybody here, as you so often contend. We're just here to deal with the problems.

If that's not satisfactory to you, so be it. Tough shit, in other words. Nobody named you judge and jury. And despite your four-year campaign, you haven't been able to convince Max to crack down on us volunteers, have you? Doesn't that tell you something?

-Joe Offer-

It tells me that some animals now consider themselves to be a lot more equal than others and perhaps more entitled to have a good time than others. And that it may be a lot easier to claim that you manage to be good-humoured when you are the one imposing your judgement - than it may be for those who are being imposed upon and subject to the name-calling.

The irony is that as I have never responded in kind to these abusive personal attacks and name-calling (from Joe Offer or anyone else) - there are no grounds - nor should there be any question of any of my words being subject to any imposition or for them not to appear as posted. Sadly that has not been the case.........