Kata Markon

[JFAlward AT aol.com]

Let me try to put things in focus.

Someone on this list was unnecessarily impolite to a newcomer, telling him in 
effect that he should ask to be excused for his presumptuousness.  I felt 
that the offended party should know that at least *one* other forum member 
disapproved of the other's attitude.  I had hoped that my public post would 
encourage others to likewise affirm their disapproval, especially the 
moderator.  

My hopes were in vain.

When the moderator spoke on this matter, he gave no hint to the forum that he 
disapproved, and he made matters worse by suggesting that the request for 
references was of the type one would expect from a beginner. For this, I 
criticized the moderator, and the attention was quickly shifted away from the 
slap at Prof. Justnes to my criticisms.  This is a red herring, I believe. 

It seems that first things should come first.  First, the offender should 
publicly apologize for his impertinence, and then the moderator should 
apologize for seeming to foster an elitist attitude and for seeming not to 
object to what the graduate student said. After that's done, perhaps then 
members can then take up the matter of whether my criticisms of the moderator 
were justified.  

Or, we can just drop the whole matter right here.