Reply #57: Point well taken, but...

[Dastard Stepchild]

to trot out a trite observation... people get plenty powerful behind the anonymity of their keyboards. I think that message boards, by nature of there being no face-to-face interaction, will always be a few degrees more nasty than in real life. I know that is no excuse, but I really think it just comes with the territory. In the many years I have participated on message boards, this is the one constant: people will say things to me online that they would never say to my face.

I don't think it is stress, really, though maybe that plays a part. Anonymity, I think, is the main reason why we are able to tear into each other in disrespectful ways. I'm not entirely sure how to overcome that.

But it's certainly worth making the effort. :)