PA - Personal Armor

Nothing on this list IMO gets quite as degenerated as to be called a
flamewar, but I've managed to miss altogether the last two or three
'bonfires' before the current. And that is exactly my point. I avoid
colorfull exchanges the same way I skip over other game discussions I
have
no interest in. I see no need to unsubscribe from the list because ten
digests in a row deal solely with Stargrunt - which I do not play, nor
because a given day's posts happen to be peppered with sniping.

Whether or not anyone on this list pushes my buttons or sounds
insulting, it
is solely my choice to read beyond the first words I don't like, or to
feel
maligned by the sleep-deprived rants or cold-calculated putdowns of
another
open- or closed- minded individual.

The suggestions/reminders below are neither new nor innovative, but may
prevent more list defections if remembered and employed (I don't mean to
sound patronizing, but then again I do. Don't like it? read the list and
see
what you can do about it  ;-).

1) The 'delete' and 'page down' keys are standard hardware on almost all
computers (and you can get replacement keys if they wear out).
2) You are not obligated to respond to a post.	This includes posts
directly
addressing (and/or insulting) you, your sensibilities, your
experience,or
your mother.
3) Increase your PA 
    3a) Get a thicker skin. A friendly (or even non-friendly) snipe on
this
list is not a physical assault.
    3b) Put safetys on your freaking buttons. Better yet, Get rid of
tropism
responses alltogether - You're niether a robot nor a flatworm.
4) Count to ten. If something really gets you faklempt, take a moment.
If
you're sleep deprived, count to 20 or 30, maybe it'll let you catch a
few
winks before you reply.
5) If none of these seem to work, consider prefessional help for anger
management. Neither this list nor anyone on it is your problem.

For the record, if it's not clear from the above, I am perfectly happy
moderating my own edition of the list.