The hoo-haa about Nick's uncharacteristic comments took me back a few years. At one time that remark would have been regarded as mild, if for no other reason than that the language was clean. Any post which didn't end with "you dumb #%$" was from a newcomer. Consistently, I was one of the worst.
We're a much better group now, thanks to a lot of things. Robert's patient guidance, moderators, and a general willingness to go along with the program or leave. There are too many good influences to name without leaving a few out, but Raoul has been patient and moderate, and even so been severely insulted by a couple of the neocons, alcaray has always been issue-oriented, ER brought a new level of discourse, Johannes is a beautiful example of not taking matters personally and the women 'mongst us have diluted the savagery to where a good loud bark draws attention. There are lots of others, not enough time.
Of course some folks routinely hit below the belt but that's becoming more and more a thing of the past.
It's getting positively habitable around here.
Arf