Jack, you knee-jerked. You didn't read it so you wouldn't know, but the person who posted the message you quote from is absolutly right.

No Jeri, no a knee jerk, a deliberate strategy to mke my experience on the Mudcat more comfortable. I've just read the "janetryan" post and I stand by my decision. I agree with nearly everything that she says and she does say it quite well and with much less acrimony than many, but that opening statement was enough to tell me not to expect civility, to expect some name calling, and that the author is going to continue with the SOS that pollutes an otherwise very nice on line community.

The term "Brat" is a perjoritave and does not belong in polite conversation. It looks as though she uses it to refer to "Anon Guests" and to LR (Lupis Rex?). Are not personal attacks on members, ie name calling, dissallowed under the rules of conduct of the MudCat? It seems to me that personal atacks on "Guests", if anything, is worse. The culture here seems to reward name calling, acrimony and attacks on "GUESTS" does anyone besides me see how wrong that is. In some cases it means heated attacks on some people who appear to me mentally ill. Insults and personal attacks on ANYONE, don't help to build a community. They do quite the opposite. I may be nice for some to have an entire group of people to "beat" when they get "uppity", but the practice demeans the MudCat and reflects badly upon all of the members.