Bravo! "You must treat others who are on the site with respect and civility if you want to remain on it." When a person who is unwilling to abide by the EULA, or who habitually crosses the line between vigorous debate of an issue and putting down the clipper who raised it, users go into hiding. Please, CM, enforce the boundary - dump abusers.

just for the record, the text from above (Eric's) was from May 5, 2007

I noticed some rather popular clippers are no longer visible. Perhaps this is why, or perhaps they took their posts into their private networks.

thanks for the date - I overlooked it. I'm still new, and just saw the blog for the first time. Sorry this is not new.

But it IS STILL RELEVENT

I can sleep safe at night now!

@swirl - amen to that!

Without limiting debate on ideas, resolutely throttling put-downs on clippers.

When clippers insult clippers, readers are discouraged from becoming commenters, and we all learn less.

masbury as always your are a gentleman and a scholar.
I can't say I have had any real problems myself.Sometimes people just have to take it out on someone.I guess the net seems benign as an outlet.
Anyway, I would like to think that some of the things we clip are relevant at a deeper level.

When clippers insult clippers, readers are discouraged from becoming commenters, and we all learn less.

So true. It takes a gutless coward to hide behind a keyboard and anonymity to verbally annhilate someone - and it's all couched sanctimoniously and self-servingly as the "pursuit of truth". Nonsense - it's pure, unadulterated egotism, hate and an overpowering will to crush and dominate. These are the bullys and the trolls that crawl out of the woodwork and spoil it for everyone.

Thanks, friends, great comments! swampfoxz, I greatly appreciate that compliment! michellezm, I think you may have described it better than any of us.

Blueridge sugar?
Do you mean me? Oh, I just found a 24 hour pub and I'll be back when the beer money runs out or TN makes me quit dancing on the tables for beer money, whichever comes first

Thats my debby, turns every occasion into a party!

Good to hear you, debbyski. There are so many great people on CM I still cannot figure out why a little bit of watery poison upsets me so much.

Abailart - Maybe because you see what could be ...