<serious mode on, although rambling> Has there been a tone difference lately? Ho-boy my nose would grow if I said I didn't so. I continue to think of this as a "phase" we go through every once in a while when we forget how "we" would want to be "talked to". My answer is much like Joanne in some ways (and others have suggested it)... but in my world is called voting with your feet. Whenever I get to any name calling/uglies, etc..... the post gets deleted. I don't care how *good* *anything is after that*, it is gone. Sometimes I selectively sample a repeatedly combative thread to see if anything has changed. I have actually stopped reading a thread or three for the first time since I have read the list (OK, the old QM/astrophysics threads just went over my head sometimes in the past). Granted I don't like conflict much, but in real life situations it is just a part of life, not necessarily always for discussion/dialog. If an individual does not change their opinion after a certain amount of attempts at logic- then find another way to get your point across (heck, creative thinking is one hallmarks of sci-fi, get great at it). Saying the same thing louder or ruder is like screaming at a deaf person. A long time ago someone told me that if you want to be positive- surround yourself with great or positive people, and not with the behaviors you don't like. I have felt so privledged to be on this list, but I get negative stuff every day that I don't need to have reinforced in my refuge (here where I have always thought humanity can be when we are all members of a self reflective civilization). Regarding posting List Ettiquette- it was my impression posting was done roughly every 4-6 weeks and sometimes when things got heated (and/or if it had been longer than that). I would not think that they were only posted if someone felt "mothering" was needed. (Interruptions in the process seemed more related to the facts that we humans have kids that need us, things come up, and just plain forget on occasion). By the same token I would hope that members don't think that things are "ok" or "in bounds" if they are not getting "ettiquettized" telling them to behave. We should all be more adult than that. <serious mode off> Dee
