I dunno... I started posting to Mudcat in June of last year, and although that wasn't long before 9/11, it was still pre-9/11. I saw plenty of anger, snapping at one another, taking potshots, carping about world issues, and off-topic BS galore, and flaming-&-trolling by GUESTs and flaming-&-trolling at GUESTs... In fact, I remember how puzzled I was when I first posted as a GUEST-with-a-suffix and being thanked by a Mudcatter for doing so.

I don't think that we can blame 9/11 for this, or even date the "harder edge" of Mudcat posts from that day. Like the terrorist attack itself, it didn't come out of the blue; there's been a build-up to it beforehand. I think that the rancor is indicative of something that's been running very deep in our society for years now.

If anything, I've seen valiant attempts on the part of some Mudcatters not to give in to that rancor after 9/11 when they would have done so before then. But I do agree that if we all minded our manners better, it would be a positive thing for Mudcat!