Hi, Colombo10-

I'd been reading this board for perhaps a year before I joined, and I can tell you that part of the difficulty facing the presidents and long-term *contributors* is that they are intent on doing what is necessary to preserve the quality of the board. There have been many SH-style attacks since I started reading it, mostly commencing when the SP is about to pop. 99% of those attacks come from... you guessed it... the Mail Room. New members whose intent seems to be nothing more than to spout their opinion in an obnoxious and confrontational manner.

So the folks who care about the quality of the board try to "nip those problems in the bud". This may pose some difficulties for newcomers who come from less well moderated forums; there will be an adjustment period. For newcomers, here are some suggestions:

1) read the rules and abide by them

2) the forum has history. Use it!

3) if a post annoys you, go ahead and compose a reply if you feel you must, but before posting it, step away from the computer, go have a cup of coffee or tea, or do some yoga (yep, I'm from California :-) ) See if you can understand the other person's perspective. If they've violated the Agoracom rules, cite the post as a violation. *Then*, if you cannot contain yourself, post your response.

We all welcome people who contribute their ideas (preferably with references/support), and generally speaking, very little wheat gets thrown out with the chaff.

Thanks for *your* contributions!