Why so tense, Brad? Try Sanka (formerly "nettiquette")

[Bonni Graham <Bonni_Graham_at_Enfin-SD -at- RELAY -dot- PROTEON -dot- COM>]

Jim Gifford notes:
***
...flaming has in the past six months or so become far more frequent and
unpleasant.  Is it just us or does anyone else sense that "ill will" is
become more frequent?  If this does, in fact, appear to be happening, any
thoughts on why?
***

No, it's not just you noticing it.  I think some of it has to do with the
season (Stressing in a Winter Wonderland), some of it has to do with the
economy, and some of it may be related to that ol' "familiarty breeds
contempt" idea.

We're all getting more comfortable with the medium -- could it be that we're
therefore being less careful?  Or is it that many of us have posted enough
that we feel a clear sense of our personalities and sense of humor is now
also obvious to all reading (and are thus less careful about self-editing)?
Thoughts, netters?

BTW (it's peripherally related), why do we (and I'm including myself) feel
compelled to read every message sent?

If a post is about a topic you (generically speaking) think is a waste of
time, why "waste your time" reading it?  If others are posting about it,
obviously THEY think it's not a waste, or they wouldn't bother responding.
Complaints about "wasted band width" remind me strongly of "wasted air time
(TV/radio)", which usually translates to "stuff the complainer didn't want to
watch/listen to."  To me, this is kind of like complaining because my
favorite radio station occasionally plays a song I actively dislike.  There's
no one at my company holding a gun to my head making me read everything (I'm
just nosy -- an extrovert doesn't like to miss anything).

Is this an editor problem (meaning, are there systems that don't let you skip
past a post w/o at least looking at it)?  Is this a problem with being
careful about our subject lines (both reading and writing them)?  Or is this
a case of last-word-itis (something I have been guilty of, and I'm perfectly
willing to admit it, sometimes even in the last-word-attempt post -- which
this note could be seen as, although I really don't mean it that way)?  Was
that a long enough sentence for everyone? :)

Bonni Graham                               |
Technical Writer                           |
Easel Corporation, ENFIN Technology Lab    |
Bonni_Graham_at_Enfin-SD -at- relay -dot- proteon -dot- com | flush, v. Align type to the
President, San Diego STC                   | left or right, thereby
                                           | beating a pair of aces
NOTE: apparently my email address needs    |
to be typed exactly as it appears here,    |          --Ezra Shapiro
punctuation and all, or the system gets    |
upset.                                     |