The problem flamer
Although flaming isn't necessarily bad Netiquette, a flamer can sometimes get out of hand. For example, say you participate in the ultra-friendly newsgroup
rec.pets.cats. Somebody posts a message to the
newsgroup suggesting that all kittens should be "buried up to their
necks at lawn-mowing time." What do you do?
Your first impulse may be to respond to the culprit -- either publicly or
by private email -- casting aspersions on his/her morals, intelligence,
ancestry, etc. Don't do it. People who post flagrantly offensive flames
like this are either flexing their
net.muscles, or desperately crying out
for attention, or some combination of those things. Many (perhaps
most) such flamers are college students who have just discovered
cyberspace, and whose social skills haven't yet caught up with their
technical abilities. A return flame may be just what they want, and in
any case probably won't change their behavior.
Some better suggestions (offered by the friendly folks on
rec.pets.cats): (Endnote #15)
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