Reply from Lenny, Child's Age 2,4,22,33 - 10/5/03 - IP#: 67.66.123.xxx   parbb-c1595

Nobody has the right to tell you what to do, and you have the right to not listen to any particular post. The purpose of forums of this nature is to have people with similar experiences help each other. Unfortunately, there is a group of people who have nothing better to do than to waste their time and that of others by pressing our hot buttons. Evidently, somebody did that to you. However, you appear to be mature enough to know what you believe and how to raise your children. Anyone saying otherwise is not being helpful. When moles strike any forum, they do so with the intent of causing flame wars. The best way to avoid these flame wars is simply to ignore the moles. Replying to their posts, even by saying "go away," or "Don't feed the moles," which is one of my favorites, is making a response to the mole. Any response to the mole tells him he has succeeded, and he will continue to post irritating comments, and increase the heat on the forum. Even your reply here, while having the best of intentions, still is fuel to feed these fires. I believe that one reply to a mole is too much, yet occasionally, one person should respond to a mole who repeatedly posts to the forum. That response should only be for the benefit of the others here, and perhaps a reminder to leave the moles alone. When they get hungry enough, they go elsewhere if they aren't being fed here. It is in such cases that I occasionally post my one-liner, "Please don't feed the moles." I feel that you, and everyone else who has a bonafide reason to be here, should simply read through those posts that are helpful to them, and respond to them accordingly. When someone does flame us, we all need to take the responsibility to ignore the mole. I do this even when the mole uses my nick on the forums. I believe that most readers are able to determine for themselves when a post is totally out of character for the nick, and can determine for themselves that the mole has become an imposter.