I first joined the MercedesShop.com in January 2000. I spent a number of years here, under a different name that I have since changed. I had over 10,000 posts here, the vast majority of them in the diesel discussion and tech help forums. I came to OD a few times in the early years, and didn't like what I saw, so I avoided it like the plague.

My first 8 or 9 years on this forum were extremely enjoyable. It was quite satisfying to be able to help people fix their cars from time to time and get help in return with some of my own MB repair challenges.

Somewhere about 2008 or so, it was a slow day on the technical forums and I was in time killing mode. My job requires 100% of my attention about 30% of the time! and the rest of the time I am basically killing the time until the next crisis that demands my attention. I was mistakenly under the impression that OD was a no holds barred forum.

I started looking at some of the far left posts on the forum and since I mistakenly thought it was no holds barred, I started responding in a no holds barred way. It went over like a fart in a space suit, and I immediately found myself in the middle of some fights that I really did not want to be in. Given that it is against my nature to walk away from a fight especially when I didn't start them, I stood my ground, while unknowingly fighting outside the rules of the forum.

As the apparent hatefulness for me continued to grow, I continued to reply in kind. That hatefulness for me from some of the members here has gotten to the point where a few people that I used to really want to meet in person regardless of our political differences, I wouldn't bother to drive across town if they were passing through. I fully expect that those same people feel the same way about me. I find all that to be quite sad.

I realize that it takes two to tango, so a certain portion of blame for the situation is certainly mine.

If I could do it over again I would have never clicked on Open Discussion no matter what. Now I am at a point where I won't walk away from the ongoing fight. Again, it takes two to tango.

Aquaticedge. Whatever part I might have had in making this forum so contentious that you have to start such a thread, I apologize for it. I offer my very best wishes to you.