At some point, these fights become 100% personal. That point is, with increased frequency, the first post.

"Pointless squabble" - click on Keith's name in his posts. These things can go on for years, with no resolution, and none intended. Just an excuse to bloviate, ad barfium.

It's the geezers meeting at the country store, the breakfast club, the pub, and just taking up the fight where they left off, and they figure if they sound passionate enough, people might think they actually care. If they sound knowledgeable enough, somebody might think they're smart. Newsflash: the likeliest thing people might think is "Oh, does he never shut up?!"

But then, the internet is a write-only medium. Nobody cares about who's doing the reading.

It's easy enough for me to ignore, but imagine what a newbie might think. I doubt the usual 5 or 6 combatants (with occasional drop-ins) care, and that is a shame.