I think relating it to real world social adaptation is a good clue.....but in the 3d world there is immiediate gratification as what you say/do is responded to.There is also the ability to pick your targets in terms of your relationship with them.Flamers here have no relationship with us and can only get their 'reward' through written words on a screen....not much payback for all that effort, I would have thought.Although the relativly anonymous nature of the internet allows people to be nastier than they might in real life,why should they want to be, given that it also means they do not KNOW their victims? What I think I'm asking is,are we non-people to flamers/trolls therefore what's said can't matter ( in which case why bother?)...or have we ( by which I mean any forum) assumed super-status and become the important reality in their lives..therefore would the normal instinct not be to want to be a constructive part of this forum?