Kent wrote:

> I do not believe I insulted you. The comment I made to TFM has
> nothing to do with you, and wasn't in any way directed at you.
> I was calling him a Troll.

Kent, you continuously misuse the word troll, which is the term for a
non-member of a ng who anonymously posts a controversial topic with the
purposeful intent to hook the naive onto the trollers baited hook. Trolls
disappear and usually do not respond, as they are content to sit back and
enjoy the fun. THAT is what knowledgeable usenet participants consider to be
a troll. Forget the Webster dictionary definitions, dammit all.

So, please, knock off this 'troll' crap. TFM is a valuable participant and
someone whom I consider to be a personal friend with whom I have spent time.
Alan (TFM), along with his beautiful bride (God Bless you and may you have a
peaceful rest), in front of a bunch of afb participants who came from all
over the US and Canada, were married in a wonderful, albeit, unconventional
ceremony at the grand opening of my bbq joint.

All of the participants here, especially me at times, have quirks and
personalities. That's what makes this a fun place to be. There are feuds,
there are loyalties, there are favorites, there are those with whom we
begrudgingly interact with.

You, Kent, created a lot of animosity, frustration, and made some enemies
due to your quirks and behavior. Over the last few months, it seemed you
have wanted to make a go of fitting in. I applaud that. But make no mistake,
it would be my bet that you will come out on the sliver-end of the stick if
you expect this group to advocate your side over that of Alan (TFM) or Steve
(Sqwerts). For better, or worse, there is always a long-term collective
memory of the positives and negatives among long-time members of any NG of
its participants. Feuds and negative interactions are sometimes slow to
overcome.

You want to fight with Steve or Alan? Fine, go ahead and make their day. It
will hurt you far more then it will hurt them as far as this NG is
concerned. Yeah, it is tough to take the taunts but you have a choice to
make: nut-up and deal with it, or keep up this sissy slap-fighting and hurt
your long-term cause. It is your choice. If it helps, then kill-file TFM and
Steve W so you don't see their posts; what you can't see, in this case,
won't hurt you. Hell, my daddy was military and I changed schools every two
to three years. With a last name like 'Bugg', I grew up with taunts. I made
friends by smiling, letting it go, or sometimes joining in with
self-depricating good humor. I even developed a logo which I could quickly
draw, and which my friends and students fellow students demanded I use when
signing each others yearbooks (do they still have yearbooks?).

I am ambivalent about what you decide to do, and I can imagine the arguments
that would be normal for you to formulate in response to this post. But
please believe me when I say that I don't care. I am spending far more time
giving you this advice than I really want to, because I think you might be
willing to accept it without arguing the issue.

Do with it what you will.


--
Dave
What is best in life? "To crush your enemies, see them driven before
you, and to hear the lamentation of the women." -- Conan