I have been participating on Internet pool forums since late '97. I've seen, written, and learned a lot in that time.
Most certainly there was an extended spell early on, when I was new to the forums, that I was more than happy to involve myself in running gun battles with any number of people on the internet, to the point of even receiving death threats over something I posted online. To me, the arguments, flaming, and well crafted insults were fun and I gained many skills, as applied to forum warfare.
But, like I said, I learned.
It took time, but I finally figured out that the way to win a war with someone is not necessarily by being funnier, quicker, meaner, or even getting the last word in. Sometimes (not always), the way you "win" is by being the better man and walking away.
Like everybody else, something I have discovered is that there are a number of people on the forums whom I cannot abide. The reasons for this generally fall into the categories of: they always need to be right; they're always insulting someone; they always find a way to pick a fight; or they are just plain stupid (this would be, by far, the largest category
And so, I just filter those people, or ignore anything and everything they write, because I know that responding to them will never lead to anything good.
Which leads me to something else I've figured out: none of us will be around forever. But one thing that will be around loooong into the future is what we post here. And frankly, I don't want to be remembered by the pool community at large for some of the crap I've written in the past. I would prefer to be remembered for some of the better things I've written on the Internet.
So Freddy and Dick: do what you want. Continue bitch slapping each other around in public, if you must. I have no doubt though that sooner or later one, or maybe both or you, will finally wise up and be the better man.
Lou Figueroa