Is this really what we've come to - declaring our intention to violate the TOS, which really means declaring our intention to be unhospitable and break down our community?

And then go ahead and attack another member of that community?

I'm sure that whoever takes this approach feels that it's warranted because their target "deserves it."

But I also wonder whether our community deserves it? And whether a poster stops and thinks, before attacking another member, whether their words will make our community a less pleasant place -- to the regular members who participate every date and to the 20,000 other lurkers who visit each day?

Andy Rooney used to say, "the funny thing about incompetent people is we always think they're someone else."

So goes for trolls. We always think someone else is the troll. But no matter. The slogan "don't feed the trolls" works equally well -- if I think you're the troll and don't respond to you, and you think I'm the troll and don't respond to me -- problem solved.

If you have a problem with a poster's actions in a particular forum, email the moderator. The moderator can take the issue up with Randy if it's warranted.

If you don't get the resolution you want from the moderator, go to Randy directly.

But let's stop blasting each other in posts on these forums. Keep the acrimony (if it's really necessary) to backchannel.

And let's turn back to what Flyertalk does best: miles and points. We didn't get close to 2 million posts by having more noise than signal. But we aren't immune, either.

Let's stop, all of us, responding to attacks.

My personal views only,
Gary