One reason that I rarely read the discussion board is my dislike at the occasional posting of argumentative, condescending and rude language, like “idiot” no “you’re crazy”, “boy”, etc.  I have seen some pretty heated arguments.  Sometimes it gets quite personal and unnecessary.  I try never to do it.

I don't see the point in all of this negativity. I suppose if you look at it in an analytical way, you can assume that a lot of the posters probably aren't at the top of the list when it comes to confidence, otherwise, why would they need to tear others down. But, I have learned, to ignore the ones who are so negative. I think that boards like this should bring forth solidarity, both between the men and the women- but unfortunately that isn't how it works so much.

over something that was said to you by someone you have no clue as to their identity on the internet?

"Never argue with idiots, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

The casual nastiness is one of the things I’ve come to hate most about the boards and the internet in general.

I am also seeing this more and more in my private life. When they text you or email you then you become a captive audience for this person to unleash on I choose not to read it when I see where it is going, I delete it entirely and do not respond at all.  

Thats pretty good, captures it perfectly.  Beat you with experience, very true and you're left dirty and slimed.

the magnanimous Mr. Fisher in such high regard. I don't know how he does it. (I'm sure) there are others but  I can't recall their handle.

While the means to communicate (Email, Text, Skype etc) has improved, I've noticed common decency and appropriate behavior when communicating with friends, co workers, strangers is fading. Our communication is essentially evolving/devolving simultaneously.

Each of you has articulated excellent points.  Perhaps I am tilting at windmills, but those of us who have mastered good communication skills can each do our part by continuing the tradition of writing a thoughtful communication from time to time and resisting the temptation to respond in sound bites.  Either by way of response to a provocation, or merely as a cogent expression of our thoughts and feelings -- take a moment to truly express yourself.  If enough of us do this, it may catch on with others who spend too much time in the twittersphere and other venues for abbreviated communication habits.  Few things are more heart-warming and evocative than a thoughtfully crafted letter, as those of us who have lived our lives sending and receiving them can attest.

Yes cyber bullying is real and sad. No reason to allow another who has no clue who you are, what your dealing with in life to bully you for no apparent reason except they feel they can. You don't have to read their garbage misery loves company but you don't have to join their party!  

I had a final falling out with an ex because she tried to call me out on Facebook. Instead of picking up the phone and asking me, "Dude, where'd you go."  

Maybe I miss them too much. Long e-mails used to be short letters and I'm caught between worlds. I'm used to exchanging long e-mails with folks who used to write letters, so I'm still working on making my e-mails shorter for people who only know e-mail. I'll get there some day.

so many people, particularly folks under 35 or so.  To them, normal conversation doesn't happen face-to-face very much, it's all by IMs on your phone.  So when faced with any sort of challenge in any form of text, their normal response is more text with a sense that 'I've got to be superior to this other person' & it all becomes a contest of one-upmanship.  And nobody really listens anymore!  Kind of a sad state of affairs & sometimes I'm actually happy that I'm getting pretty old & won't have to be around to see where this goes, but I do worry for my children & grandchildren.  But I also know there's not much I can do about it.
So my advice is to just walk away; let the other person go forward with their self-created sense of superiority, knowing that someone else will bring them down sooner or later, or else they'll go through life offending everyone, & die with no friends.

I think the medium of contact matters too, I will generally mention in an ad that I do not check PM regularly because I find when people fire off a PM they are more likely to just send out anything that pops in their head. When someone has to visit my website, get my email and then log into their email account (assuming they don't email from their personal account) that seems to have enough of a time buffer that they think about what they are saying... or those that send stupidity are also just too lazy to take all those steps.
As much as companions complain about the barrage of useless and rude messages we get we sometimes forget the flipside of it, that the gents have even less options in how they contact other gents for information and thus open themselves up to the same sort of problems.

By time I was a teen and went to a new school people looked at me like I was crazy for not having a screen name as where I came from it was all about the phone.