>I think that, given its brevity, it would be a bit difficult to come to any conclusion about the person who posted it. That bothered me greatly.

It was the very brevity of it that concerned me greatly. Given that Craig is widely respected & considered an expert here, I felt that it came across as a proclamation from an expert, & should be taken as fact & that an explanation wasn't required. As an expert taking the time to give an answer, I felt that just a little more explanation was required.

That said, my initial comments were not specifically aimed at Craig, rather a view of the group as a whole. One of my comments was about the reaction to opposing views, the strand of the thread relating to surrogate keys goes to show the intolerance I commented on. There are others who are considered experts who seem to specialise in being rude & offensive, & seem quite prod of the fact. These attitudes coming from the experts do give a very negative view to newcomers

>I think if you'll give the place a chance, you'll find as good (and as bad) a group as you'll find anywhere else.

I agree whole-heartedly & will continue to give the place a chance.