That said, HSO, I believe you owe me an apology far more than I owe you a thank you. You have been rude to me and frankly you've been snappy with everyone else on this forum across several threads.

There is no etiquette on this forum, nor has there ever been to my knowledge, that asserts that someone has to provide a "thank you" in response to someone answering a question. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Truthfully, when I throw a question out there I am usually just trying to get people thinking, start a conversation, or make people aware of something. In this case, I ran across slipstream and thought I must not be the only one who did not know what it was. Obviously, I wasn't, and many people ALMOST benefited from this forum until you threw around yoru holier-than-thou attitude around.

I resent your patronizing tone. I resent your implication that I am rude or overlook my social obligations. Don't be so sure that I'm a "lovely person." I'll tell you what kind of person I am -- honest, blunt, pragmatic, intelligent, hardworking, and caring. Lovely is not on the list nor will it ever be because it doesn't belong anywhere except in the vocabulary of a patronizing 80-year-old.

This forum is for the benefit of all writers who choose to participate, whether through posting or simply through lurking. The "thank you's" we receive are implicit, and come in the form of feeling good about helping those around us. I have never required an explicit thank you for any of the information I have posed here, and though I do ocassionally appreciate the acknolwedgement I will never presume to impose arrogant and presumptive moral standards on those who do not explicitly provide a thank you.

For some reason, I was under the impression that slipstream was a fancy way of saying cross-genre and/or unclassifiable. From what has been posted here about it, though, I begin to think it's another way of saying "surreal."

But first: Thank you for taking the time to write out your concerns.

And second (and more importantly): If I've in anyway hurt your feelings, then I sincerely apologize, for that wasn't my intent and it still isn't. My intention was simply to point out that some people (namely me) believe that proper manners should always be observed regardless of the forum in which conversations occur. It is a matter of courtesy, not morals, and anyone can see that if they simply overlooked my brash and arrogant stance and actually read the words I've said about it. There is a difference. By your standards, Christine, I suspect that I would be quite amoral. But, I do not wish to digress any further. On to your points:

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That said, HSO, I believe you owe me an apology far more than I owe you a thank you. You have been rude to me and frankly you've been snappy with everyone else on this forum across several threads.

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Answer: I've apologized above for any unintentional hurting of your feelings. I hope that it is adequate, because I cannot apologize for anything I've said. I meant it.

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There is no etiquette on this forum, nor has there ever been to my knowledge, that asserts that someone has to provide a "thank you" in response to someone answering a question.

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There should be. For crying out loud. (I would've used other words, but I'm trying to be polite.)

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Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Truthfully, when I throw a question out there I am usually just trying to get people thinking, start a conversation, or make people aware of something. In this case, I ran across slipstream and thought I must not be the only one who did not know what it was.

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You're right. We often forget our manners. It happens. Still, it did take me over a half an hour to locate anything useful about slipstream. I did this not only for myself, or you, Christine, but for everyone. I'm actually glad you brought it up, because I do enjoy learning new things.

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Obviously, I wasn't, and many people ALMOST benefited from this forum until you threw around yoru holier-than-thou attitude around.

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You shouldn't speak out for other people. They're smart enough to figure out for themselves where the topic has gone off topic, and where the relevant information is. I suggest you consider that for a brief moment.

More importantly, I do not have a holier-than-thou attitude. This would require me to believe in something I do not believe in (gasp!). [And for those doing the gasping, please know that I fully respect your desire to believe in anything you choose; I would never think bad or stupid of anyone for believing in whatever they believed in. Freedom of Choice after all. Please understand.]

Allow me to correct you, Christine: What I am guilty of is being an ass about how I handled it. It's not one of my prouder moments, but hey, I'll live through it somehow.

So will you. Now, you can be offended if you like. You can think whatever you like about me. All of you. It doesn't change the fact that proper manners should be observed at all times.

Call me old-fashioned, but not holier-than-thou. Call me arrogant. Call me tactless. I don't care if you call me a jerk. I'm definitely not holier than anyone. Nor do I think I'm better than anyone. If any of you believe that to be false, then you're fooling yourselves. I'm only concerned with with how I'm perceived; I do not make comparisions against any of you. There would be no point. I'm quite secure in who I am. I would think the rest of you are as well. Am I wrong in that assumption?

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I resent your patronizing tone. I resent your implication that I am rude or overlook my social obligations.

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That's quite a bit of resentment you've got. You might want to let it go before it eats at you.

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Don't be so sure that I'm a "lovely person." That's the sort of thing you say when you're being an ass and don't want to make it sound like you are.

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I'm not sure about you at all really, but I was basing that on the comments of the fellow hatrackers here, both publicly and privately. They do care much for you, so one would have to conclude that there is something good to care about. Where is the flaw in my logic on that one?

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I'll tell you what kind of person I am -- honest, blunt, pragmatic, intelligent, hardworking, and caring.

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Very well, I'll take you on your word. You haven't proved caring part yet to me, but there's still time for that I suppose--but you certainly don't need to either. Depends on you really.

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Lovely is not on the list nor will it ever be because it doesn't belong anywhere except in the vocabulary of a patronizing 80-year-old.

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Your mistake here, and yes it is a mistake, is that you forget other cultures and the fact that I am a UK resident. The word lovely is used quite frequently here. I've said lovely more often since moving here a year ago than I've ever said in my entire life. I certainly was not patronizing you. Stop looking into things that are not there (and that goes for a few of you, by the way. Read the words, not your presumed intent of my words. I can't show you expressions or give you any tone of voice. You just have to read the words at face value. Any more than that and you're guilty of false assumptions.)

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This forum is for the benefit of all writers who choose to participate, whether through posting or simply through lurking. The "thank you's" we receive are implicit, and come in the form of feeling good about helping those around us. I have never required an explicit thank you for any of the information I have posed here, and though I do ocassionally appreciate the acknolwedgement I will never presume to impose arrogant and presumptive moral standards on those who do not explicitly provide a thank you.

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