I have been quite dismayed, as of late, to see more "hair-splitting" displayed in this forum, than useful ideas, suggestions, or points of order.

While I can certainly understand why men with no truely independent thoughts or opinions to offer seek to aggrandize themselves and attempt to make themselves look dashingly clever by going to great lengths to twist the words of others (often those who have posted in sincerity) into a meaning that was ne'er intended, it occurs to me that perhaps someone who knows them personally might do them a great courtesy by pointing out to them how infantile they reveal themselves to be, when this sort of behavour becomes their defining public characteristic.

Or perhaps, at the least, someone could offer them a few lessons in the communicatory magics of the "tell" and the "message", that they might not have to journey all the way to the newsroom to engage in an exchange of dialogue that amounts to, "Yes you did."
--"No, I did not."
--"Yes, you did!"
--'No, I did not!"

I think it truely a shame when we have reached a day when those who honestly *possess* enlightening ideas or insights into a particular subject no longer lay pen to paper in this forum, being all to aware that no matter how carefully they phrase their submissions, their general ideas and theories will be completely obscured by the flock of weak-minded vultures that will immediately swoop down on their words to haughtily proclaim,
--"You can't use the word (insert any noun or adjective here) in your post! You're not a follower of X, God(dess) of (afore-mentioned noun or adjective)! You're not qualified to use that word! Your entire idea is now null and void, because the next 30 posts are going to be dedicated to a debate of the definition of the word (same noun or adjective again)! Muhaha! We know *precisely* what you really meant, because it was stated so clearly that even a kobold could understand it, but we're going to show all of Achaea how devilishly intelligent we are by pretending that we didn't understand a word of it, because you forgot to dot your 'i's...."

I pray that we shall see a return to the days when men took up a pen in this forum because they truely had something to say -- and not because they love to stare at their own penmanship.

Regards,
Raajin, Secretary of the Iron Citadel

Penned by my hand on the 18th of Glacian, in the year 238 AF.