I have been very troubled by many of the posts recently--the name calling, insults, bullying, making mountains out of molehills, etc. I have also seen the number of new members to the club that have been posting here, possibly at this point wondering why they joined at all. I have only been a part of this board for about 2 years, but let me tell you how I have come to deal with what goes on here.

Newbies, consider this board a microcosm of the world in general. Better yet, consider it like an office. When I go to work, I have to deal with all sorts of people--the office jerk, the know-it-all, the person trying to undermine what you accomplish. I have to basically ignore these folks at work, because if I don't and I lose my temper, I will be the one fired, not them. Wouldn't you LOVE to choke that big mouth in the cubicle next to yours for a variety of reasons?? Of course you would. But you can't. And the majority of people probably wouldn't, because they have some sense in their heads, and a nice healthy self-respect. And is it not true that everyone at work KNOWS who the idiots are on the floor? Of course, because when idiots do what they do best, they might as well be wearing fluorescent neon proclaiming "I am the biggest imbecile in the world." Can you beat them up or otherwise engage them in some form of verbal volleying of insults or derogatory remarks? Again, of course not, because YOU will be the one fired, not the sorry loser down the hall. And besides, you can't argue with people like this--you'll get more of a civil and respecful response from a houseplant...

So my advice to you (and you can take or leave it, or sue me, haha), remember this is a public forum and we're all allowed to be here, whether or not you like or dislike what people say. It's up to you, though, how you will react (or not) to it. There are MANY MANY GREAT PEOPLE on this board, a HUGE resource and wealth of information. Just like the office, you will like some of us, and probably hate some of us. Your posts reflect only YOUR character, not anyone else's. Before hitting that "Post Message" button, think about what you're saying--would you say that to a co-worker face-to-face? Would you say it to a client over the phone or via email? Use a little common sense and common courtesy, things both unfortunately lacking in this day and age in the world. People on this board tend to have long memories when it comes to personal attacks--and little patience for those that choose to expose themselves as troublemakers. We know who they are, it's blatantly obvious. But we can be stronger people, and ignore them. Welcome to the Board!