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[herding cats]

122. The internet is an ugly place at times.

This site is not an exception to that rule. I looked up your issue and see why you're upset, some people were ugly, which was not your fault, but theirs.

I can think of three ugly threads I've seen here including yours in the past handful of days. I'm only mentioning it so you don't feel you're being singled out, because you're not. It's just an unpleasant side effect of the internet and the anonymous text based communication in places like this one. It sometimes leads to slights being seen where none were intended, miscommunication leading to ongoing vendettas between people who don't really know each other in the first place, and it gives some people a venue to express their ugly side they wouldn't express in their normal daily lives. In some cases the people who say ugly things without provocation are just as nasty in their normal daily lives, but that's another matter altogether.

My point is, it's not you, or even really about you. You were just a convenient target at the moment. Many of us who frequent internet discussions have had similar experiences. In this case it was confined to the the internet and has no real lasting impact on your daily life, which isn't always the case. I'd like to tell you to ignore the ugliness and focus on the positive experience you gain from online discussions, but you know what's best for you. In any case, it will be a shame to see you go, but if you choose to leave, keep in mind it wasn't really about you personally, even though I know that's how it feels at the moment.