Ok, now back from Disneyland. I think most people will exhibit an air of civility when meeting what amounts to a total stranger, in person. I think there are far fewer inhibitions in the invisible land of cyberspace. I think you are far more likely to see the 'real' person when shielded by the anonymity of the Internet. If a person is a flaming a-h on this board, there's a very good chance that he's going to be one in person. Of course, the same is true of those persons who are consistently 'nice'; courteous, pleasant, positive, slow to criticize, never blow their own horn, gracious in their presentation (postings), and don't feel the need to post 10 times an hour and respond to every single post. Nice people tend to be nice, whatever their environment, while a jerk is a jerk is a jerk.

Classic 'jerk' symptoms:

1. Exaggerated sense of their own talent and abilities.

2. Constantly vacillating between being helpful and hurtful (classic bi-polar behavior)

3. "mine is better than yours"

4. Excessive posting, usually meaningless and valueless, and often intended only to provoke.

5. prefers personal attacks to reasoned arguments. This is probably due to an inability to articulate a point of view.

6. Most likely to go back and "." out a previous post (after belatedly realizing it's inappropriateness).

7. Most likely to have had multiple 'bannings'.

So I hate to burst the 'peace and light' bubble, but I'm pretty sure that the 2 or 3 people I dislike on this board, I would also dislike in person. Hey, I'm nothing if not honest.

chas

PS: I have no doubt that some 'jerk' will post back and try to point out how much that profile fits me.