Yes chronic incivility, chronic belligerence for belligerence's sake, chronic picking on the same user, chronic lack of collegiality can all make the project worse. I don't see anyone here as chronically rude, just periodically lashing out. I don't think it's worth all this fuss. Neither in your nor in his case. Ignoring the rudeness and monitoring my own behavior, trying to stay on topic, not making things personal, that is how I try to deal with rudeness. On rare occasions, I have e-mailed users I am friendly with, explaining why a change in tone might be for their own benefit. With mixed results, but at least without any unnecessary drama from snarky kibitzers and narrow-minded busybodies. We can all feel jaded and slip up, and it's far less a deal than what we sometimes make out of it. - talk