light blue touch paper and retire

Who's retiring where? I ain't Martin Gibson (you might have noticed, because I don't like either brand of guitar :-) and I'm here for the duration.

You refused to answer this question on the "Deleted threads and posts" thread, on the grounds that it wasn't related to the thread, and you pointed out that the terms of your restricted access prevent you starting another related thread in which you *could* answer it. You requested that someone else start a thread, titled appropriately, in which the question could be answered.

So I'm responding to your specific request for a specific thread in which you could answer this specific question. I ain't implying anything, hinting at anything, or insinuating anything - the question I asked is the question I'd be interested in an answer to. I've even asked for people to cut out any personal crap so that we can get it straight. It doesn't get any clearer or more straightforward than that.

Just as a guiding principle here, be aware that the topic of the thread is not Joe Offer, or the Mudcat moderators, or the Mudcat moderation policy, or deleted posts/threads - it's your reasons for staying. (And ditto for anyone else drifting - topic is Shambles and nothing but Shambles...)

The result will either be that you answer it straight; or that you feed us a line which bears no relation to your actual reasons; or that you refuse to answer at all; or that you drift off at some tangent in spite of the note above. Whatever - whichever way it goes, the rest of us will find something out. The result may be that we find we've got more in common with you than differences, or the result may be that we find you've secretly despised everyone here for years. Either way, I'd like to know. I think many others here may like to know too, which is why it's a public thread (as requested by you) instead of a private message.

I actually have no personal opinion about the result. Last year an ex-friend went werewolf on our club and me in particular, calling us all manner of crap and threatening me with violence, so the prospect of finding that you hate my guts does not exactly fill me with dread. ;-) I'd just like to know whether posting answers to your questions, as I would for a rational discussion, is a worthwhile exercise, or whether I've been wasting my time and I should cut my losses now.

Graham.