It is interesting to note the self-righteous tone of those posters who disapprove of the bearpit atmosphere that sometimes prevails on some of these threads (such as this one). Yes, people say things on the internet that they would not say to people's faces but that does not mean they are not thinking those things. Forums like this may be no more than social interaction with the gloves off.
A number of posters have criticised the Muskets for mistaking obscene abuse for argument. Such protesters have a point, but the impact on me (and, I suspect, others) of Muskets' posts is simply to ignore them because, while they may have a brain, evidence of any form of critical thinking is in short supply in what they post. This has the effect of undermining the credibility of what they say and, in turn, could enhance the credibility of those they attack. It may be possible that such self defeating behaviour will die out because of this. This thought leads me to wonder whether this process could be analogous to evolution...now then Steve Shaw......