IMHO, This tends to happen all over the 'net where there are forum members discussing anything.

The 'anonymous intimacy' the Internet provides us all, greatly encourages people to have less than their normal manners, as the medium lets them speak directly to somebody with different views and yet they can assume they will never see the person they are flaming, so they are less inhibited.

Also, other stuff like voice tone, body language and facial expressions are absent, so we all rely on the subtle use of the language to show humour and gentle sarcasm, which is extremely difficult.

- my 2 yen!

-David C.