>>Oh Rob, he obviously made a lasting impression on you. I'm doubtful the reverse is true. It's a measure of the man.<<

Man? Hardly. Col was a smart-arse, as are you. As you previously said you are just words on a page. That's exactly right. And you could add to that that in a trench with the bullets flying, you'd be as useless as a turd in a swimming pool. Your "mates" would throw the likes of you and Col out. You come across as the type who has used his cleverness to get the top without having done an ounce of work in his life. A toff just like Col IOW.

>>That doesn't sound like a bully-victim relationship.<<

I was going on Graham's assessment of you as a bully some time ago. I think I'd take his word for it before yours.

>>You've no need to spend so much time excusing and justifying your own bullying to me.<<

I wasn't. I was using the opportunity you provided to do something I didn't have the chance to before. And for that, I thank you. See, you are useful for something. Just.

>>Besides, the high and mighty court of the established users is where you will need to beg for redemption.<<

I don't feel the need to prove anything or beg for anything from anyone. I'm simply putting my view. The fact that you can't accept mine says plenty about you and your stock-in-trade disparagment of others. I can hold firm to my own view against you or any of the other Jedis here, no probs. The only question of importance to me is whether or not it's worthwhile. Slowly but surely, I'd have to say the lights are dimming in that respect. You are playing a major part in that, so you can go and stand in front of the mirror now and take a bow.

pontificator,

'Making the determination is the reason we have professionals.'
Oh I was so wishing you'd lead into talking about your candlelight suppers.

'The most common reason was that the bullied person had something that made them stand out from the rest of the crowd.'

Yep, my lack of care-factor of whether I'm seen to be intelligent or 'contributing' to OLO, and my different way of conversing.

'Bullies tend to view difference(s) as some sort of threat to their own view of the way the world should be.'

Yep, the established users of OLO threatened by my difference, and attempting to force conformance to their accepted way off communicating and their purpose of saving the world.

'Likewise it is exceedingly superficial to suggest that politeness or an instance for that is because that person need approval etc.'

R0bert's manners isn't to do with the approval seeking. I identified more his desire to separate himself from antiseptic in gender discussions. He'd like to more overtly agree with a lot of antiseptics points, but he is afraid of how that affects how he is seen by the female posters. He is constantly torn, and some female posters play on this. Or maybe they just genuinely see all the male posters as one. Actually they encourage him away from antiseptic by claiming that if he doesn't he's just being bullied into some macho male solidarity if he agrees with anti.

It's fun to watch anyway.

r0bert: I agree with anti, not all men are bastards
femme: Oh r0bert, I thought you were one of the few nice men!
r0bert: Oh sorry, that anti really is a brute, but if you could just give him a chance and read this bit...
femme: He's abusive, and if you agree you're abusive too! You're being bullied into this menz business!
r0bert:Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you, I just think ... oh please don't say I'm like HIM. Please.
femme: I disagree with many men like r0bert who can be civil and nice, not like you anti, you're a bully
r0bert;: phew!

Houlley the armchair psychologist. Would you like a latte or chardonnay with that?

I'd like a Boddington's.

Or maybe even a few shots of Gletscher Eis thanks pelican.

PS: 'armchair psychologist'. Like there's any other type.

Houellebecq, do you really think that it's about affirmation or is it general preference to see others fighting unnecessarily? It looks more like the latter to me.

A lot of your posts seemed to be geared to play people off against each other, to provoke conflict where it might not otherwise be.

A continual push to try and get me to be rude to Severin when I don't need to be, trying to get Antiseptic more annoyed with me than he might otherwise need to be, other digs often done at a tangent which if not watched for could leave the targets annoyed at each other without real reason.

R0bert

Canny observation, R0bert.