No question about it, when someone starts their comments with "No offense, but..." or "Don't take this the wrong way, but..." they should know that the next thing they say is probably insulting to someone. I think most members here are considerate and respectful of others, but a few are not. The moderators try to catch gross violations of civility and edit or delete them. When a member clicks on the "Notify" button in a post, we look at it especially close.

Sad to say, but online manners are often not what they should be. Some folks think they can type in a disrespectful way online that could get them punched in a face-to-face conversation. A good example is the discussion of politics. We haven't allowed that here for years, but on other forums and news media, it seems insults are the normal way of expressing a political opinion.

Sorry you felt like you were bullied. A few members do come off way too harsh with too little thought of how their words could hurt. When you see that kind of thing, click on the "Notify" button in that post and tell the moderators how you feel about it.


Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator