While fights are fairly rare on IIS I noted a recent thread that was full of miscommunication and people's feelings were probably hurt as a result. I'd like to offer this as food for thought:
"We jump to conclusions in online communication all the time, which explains why there is so much miscommunication in the virtual world. Having taught online classes in colleges and universities for the past ten years, I have come to appreciate the unique challenges that arise in learning to communicate effectively in the virtual world. Problems with miscommunication occur so frequently in the face-to-face (f2f) world, it’s no wonder that communication difficulties are even more pronounced in a medium that relies
solely on the written word, without facial expressions, body language, or vocal tone and inflection.
Most of us have found ourselves in the cross fire of miscommunication somewhere along the line. We have offended someone without meaning to by not being clear in using humor or sarcasm in an email or perhaps a discussion in an online forum. Almost all of us have been in the position of both offending another person without meaning to or we have been insulted by someone else who did not intend to wound with words"
Sourced from:
http://thistimethisspace.com/2009/08...communication/
IMHO, we should also try to make allowances for the brashness of youth and bold statements by people new to the hobby. A little patience goes a long way.