Macha, just remind yourself -- some BPALers really are 18 years old. I'm guessing the worst of the nastiness came from kids whose worldview is truly high school. Or college (which in my experience wasn't much better). I have felt like I don't have much in common with "kids these days" since I turned 30, and the wank thread is just another example of that.

Also this is a total aside, but I love your art.

And you're an artist with words, too. I love reading your posts.

I just commented on filigree shadow's blog, but I'll repeat and expand a bit here... I said that while I know some mods better than others, everyone I've encountered has been kind and generous -- generous with your time, your creativity, your patience. I think a lot of the complaining about the mods is nothing more than sniping at people who are perceived as authority figures, or as having more of an "in" with Beth.

I've probably spent more time on this forum than any other forum or email list simply because it is so well moderated. For god's sake, I was once on a list for Airedale Terrier owners that was unmoderated, and I have never seen such off-topic, insane vitriol put into writing. I honestly don't know how you guys keep such a large group of individualistic and sometimes iconoclastic people running so peaceably.

Just my two cent's worth. BTW, I do especially love that Lotus Moon t-shirt design. Have a good weekend.

Excellent point, Gree! And it explains why words like "fandom", "wank" (except in the form of wanker), and "meme" aren't even in my vocabulary and never will be. I'm just too old for stupid shit like that.

I suppose I'm officially getting old then. I read through this crap and think "I wouldn't have written this at eighteen — my mother raised me better than that!"

No, no...I don't buy it being an age issue. Some of the most obnoxiously insulting people I've come across online have been over the age of 40. I think you can be the same loud-mouthed wank-loving asshole at 45 that you were at 16 — a matter of emotional maturity rather than physical.

And it's really not the venom spewed at the mods that raised my ire. Okay, it raised my ire a little. But to a certain extent, we're used to it. Sure, if you prick us, we still bleed...but we also sneer and say something sarcastic and witty and dry enough to pass for one of Heartbeast's martinis. But most of those people who were picked out for slandering don't have our well-honed defense mechanisms, and no one deserves to have their character impugned by anonymous strangers that way, no matter who they are.

Filigree_Shadow, Valentina: I'm just awful about dealing with complements. I become very flustered and never know how to respond without sounding like some kind of egomaniac. So I'll just say — thank you.

It's probably naive on my part, but I imagine all the multiple posts scatter-shooting everywhere were made by a total of 4 people, posting over and over. Cowards. That's all.

I'd like to think that too.

I don't care if you like me or not, cause I like you and that's all that matters.

And you're completely right.. Under the cloak of being anon we can say anything we want. Hell, we're all pretty anon here. Of course, you know I'm Carly and I know you're Jennifer... But we never have to face each other.. Ya know? But that's no reason for me to be nasty to you and no reason for you to be nasty to me... because you're still a person and so am I and we have feelings and even if we are sarcastic bitches, we still have feelings

But fuck 'em. I don't hang out with people like that, and every time this shit happens, I'm all the happier about that.

Ah, but I DO like you Carly. Sure, there was a time when that wasn't so true. Not that you'd done or even said anything horrible to me or anything, but you know the whys and wherefores. It would have been relatively easy for me to just throw some names at you and say "meh, she's a fucking bitch."

But you know what? I LIKE strong-willed and opinionated women, and I don't have to agree with you all the time as long as we can respect each other and treat each other as human beings (with the occassional bit of allowance for sarcastic bitchiness that is, I think, to be expected.) To simply dismiss you because we have on occassion not seen eye to eye (or other moderators and you have not seen eye to eye) would be, completely and utterly, my loss.

Amen, sister. You said it better than I could have.

This kind of crap (an online community or board set up for the sole purpose of bashing another online community) happens all the time, unfortunately. If you read MUA, you probably know about beautybash.net, a board set up for the sole purpose of making fun of MUAers.

The mind boggles, does it not?

aw. sorry it took me so long to reply. I'm all scatter brained.