You know, maybe someday I'll decide to participate in a boycott and actually stick with it. I disgust me sometimes....

I left because I disliked the attitudes of some of the PUTMs -- not just one -- who persisted in indicating that Basic members were somehow freeloading on the UT. I was never a PUTM before I got the MVP status, but my posts on the UT were a large part of why I got the award. I don't feel like I was freeloading during that time, or since, despite the number of my posts that fall into the chatter category.

By leaving, I also hoped to make people think about the contributions of Basic members, and who they would be excluding if their suggestions were acted on. I don't pretend to be anyone special: I'm not the best or brightest, just one of the most talkative. (And please don't send me mail denying that last line.) However, because of my past and present positions, I thought I could make the point where less-visible members couldn't. Of course, I've now ruined my point by returning, but I hope I've made at least part of it.

I have a lot of trouble leaving communities where I've made friends, so I couldn't stay away. :-) My posts will still be at the lower level from the past few months, though: I don't have a machine at home I feel comfortable surfing the web on (translation: slow modems and small screens), so my connections are made during the day. Providing free support here when I'm supposed to be helping customers who are paying an increasingly large amount of money is Not A Good Thing. :-) So, I just skim the threads, and drop in when I have something to say. Hopefully, it won't be too long before I can upgrade at home and participate on my own time, in the manner I'd prefer.