I've got no problem with GUESTS in general, just the occasional specific GUEST who is deliberately obnoxious and out to cause trouble. Matter of fact, we frequently get other GUESTS who, like Mudcat members, complain about those specific GUESTS themselves! Now how do we figure out which GUEST is which, when they are all called "GUEST"???

And which GUEST exactly are we talking about this time?

If you can't see the humour in this, maybe you need to rent a couple of old Charlie Chaplain movies and unwind for awhile.

There's another thing...yes, we tolerate swearing, etc, better when it comes from someone we already know well and have a multi-leveled understanding of...than when it comes out of the blue from a complete stranger.

Well, gosh! Isn't that exactly what happens all the time in REAL LIFE (off the internet, I mean) too??? Think about it. Do you react to complete strangers on the street or in another car the same way you do to old friends you've known and been around for years? Of course you don't! With a friend, you can assume he's probably just kidding around, or maybe he's having a rough day and is under a bit of a strain. With a total stranger, you don't have a clue where he's coming from.

This is just normal life, folks. It's what normally happens anywhere, not just on the Mudcat. Try barging into any place where the people don't know you from Adam and mouthing off aggressively at them, and see what happens...try it in a bar, in somebody's house, in a workplace, in a club, in a party caucus...anywhere...I guarantee you will not be well received. You will be received much worse, in most cases, than on this forum.

- LH