OK, now I REALLY have to meet you :D.

I haven't met y'all but I'll bet when I do I'll think you're a butt-hole. Except for Spock II.

who is "Y'all"? :eek::D

The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe'.

Understood, the ALL inclusive butt hole apostrophe. :eek::D

People in my line of work tend to be very direct to everyone. Time is money and there is no sense in wasting either.

But this directness strikes a lot of folks as being rude.

I don't care.

I guess I should say what I have always believed
 

Venues such as OT forums and other social media have always seemed to me to be a haven for cowards. We can hide behind a phony screen name (I do too) and private profile to feel free to say anything we want to anyone. Some say things and offer challenges in this type of venue that they would never have the courage to say to someone to their face.

Some, you know who you are, make a habit of inciting controversey whereas in your non-media real life you may be meek followers and desperately non-controversial.

I wish that forums such as this could be restricted to topics related to Mercedes (or Porsche or Fords or whatever) with no off-topic mutual abuse allowed. There is plenty of social media around for that. I'll admit that I sometimes engage also. It is often too much fun not to but if it were resticted to automotive topics, I would not miss it.

That's why we call it Off Topic" and not "On Topic".

The best way to avoid dealing with the crassness is not to visit Off Topic.

being honest does not require rudeness.

I myself though am often found rude by others when I am trying to be polite.;) I try for polite in almost all cases but often enough I don't recognize politeness from a klinker.

People that incite a desire to reply in kind I put on ignore because I don't like myself when irritated.

We, meaning the low lifes I have to work with, do not consider being direct as being rude. We think of it as being creative.

Show business is tough and if you cannot take it then you need to get out now. It doesn't get any better the higher up you go; if anything the insults tend to become more entertaining.

To create great art one must suffer, so we try to make each other suffer as much as possible. And no one ever stops to thank us.

Such is life.