>>>Can we stop with the drinking references? Mike's drinking or lack thereof is not an issue.
>>>
>>>John, I am fairly certain that Mike was drinking when he called me a racist. If you look at his history here, the only time he makes nasty and stupid comments like that has been when he is drunk. Notice that he did not deny the fact that he was drinking.
>>>
>>>Personally, I think that if people around here notice that Mike's posts indicate that he is drunk, they should call him on it instead of sitting back and enabling him.
>>
>>I'm beginning to agree with you on that one. It is clear when he is drinking. He doesn't see it of course, but it is pretty obvious to many. He brought his drinking into the UT conversations himself many times. He persists on returning to the bottle. That is his decision. IMHO he needs to check himself into a rehab center because nothing else has been working for him. It's his life though. It is not an excuse for his behavior but to engage a drunk in conversation is futile. He should be called on it everytime when he is sober again. Anything else is enabling. I have never mentioned this, but when he is drinking he sometimes sends me disgusting private messages which I ignore. He comes to his senses when he is sober again, but there is no excuse for that. No apologies will excuse it. That is the life of an alcoholic who keeps drinking. I lived with an alcoholic in the past and I won't enable or escuse that behavior. I've had enough of it. Anyone who has had to deal with alcoholism knows that it needs to be called out immediately everytime. I've refrained in the past, but not anymore. Ignoring it (especially since he posted publicly about it here) is not helping him or his family.
>>
>>Mike, I've copied you on this specifically so you know the ground rules have changed. When I know you are drinking and you post angry or rude or nonsensical comments or even worse - send me disgusting private messages via the UT, I'll notify everyone here that you are drunk. If you don't want that to happen, then stop messaging me when you are drunk. The only other option left to me is to use the TWIT filter and block your email address or to leave the UT to avoid it.
>
>
>I'd have to say Tracy that if he is doing that you should complain the Michel and Mike should be banned. I like Mike but there's no place for that sort of thing in a public forum. Disagreements yes but it shouldn't get to that level.
>
>BTW I have pointed out to Mike on one occasion that I think he is drinking again and while he initially denied it later he did admit it.

Michel can see them just by looking at the UT private messages. I understand he may not do that on a normal basis in order to respect the nature of 'private' messages, but surely the UT rules still apply in private messages? Or perhaps they do not. I'm not sure if private messages fall into the same category as public messages. Michel would have to address that. If the rules apply to both, then the issue of fairness must be considered because others have been banned for conduct that is not allowed in the past.

However, I have posted previously that in my opinion, banning should only be used for those cases when someone is really offensive and it risks membership and revenue for Michel. It should be Michel's call because he owns and operates this site. I have received rude messages via email from other members who didn't like what I posted and they obviously didn't want to risk using that tone or language on the UT so they sent it by email. I would never want to be a part of someone's getting banned. Private messages don't offend anyone except for the receiver of them. Also, since Michel left the TWIT filter in place, my first choice would be the TWIT filter to stop it. For messages sent via public email, the email address can be blocked as well. I am giving Mike the opportunity to stop and if he doesn't, I will use the TWIT filter and block his emails.

On another note, most likely, if it were considered a banning offense and he was banned, then he would only find another location to post where no one called him on his drinking. That is what alcoholics do.