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Thanks
bye bye ;))

You're too nice - thanks! I agree, not always flowers and sunshine, and disagreements are a good thing and part of life - it would be boring if we all thought the same way. It's all in how it's handled.

Save your money - I don't think I'd win!

Great post, Michelle. I like Jill and George is one of my favorites. I am glad to see that this blog has a classier following than some stupid coffee geek. Ha ha.

I don't have answers any more than you do about why people behave a certain way. Sure, it's not always going to be all flowers and sunshine. People disagree. But you're right in pointing out that there is much more venom when someone is anonymous than if they are not. I cannot imagine someone saying some of the things that they write in comments to my face. (Although sometimes I wish they would if they were that passionate about it.)

Since I know you personally, I know that you are far from thin-skinned. (I would actually put my money on you over me in a fight. You work out, don't you?) But I am glad that you took the time to both respond to negative comments and still treat them with respect.

Besides your interesting and excellent writing on food, your character and class is what will keep people coming back.

Thanks, Michael, appreciate it.

And to Jill - scary is right. There is too much of it.

The cleveland food and wine forum is alomst completly ananymous, which is the problem. The restaurant business is a tough business full of bad relationships, peppered with cut throut disicion making. It seems like this rough and tough attitude permeates what should be a happy, helpfull, healthy food forum.

Just this week i posted about the opening of Wonder Bar, a good 6 to 8 additional comments added on, then puff, it's gone. Lord knows i've burned some bridges with the fire and brimstone that honesty brings with it. But I have never had anything bad to say about someone/place that wasn't an honest observation.

I think when people disagree there is a great probability that something posative will emerge from conversation. Unfortunatly, online there is nothing more than name calling and childish antics. It's a shame, because for those of us looking to network, and socialize the forums have begun to fail us, and we will have to search to find another way.

I would like to congratulate Michelle because you do have a very competent following who seem interesting in posting. I have had much less commenting, probably my content. In any case, carry on the good work Michelle, I truly appreciate it.

Hi Michelle - I came here by way of George's link to this post. My blog is called Writes Like She Talks partly because I almost never write in a way that I wouldn't talk to someone. And when I talk in a way that I shouldn't write it, I don't :) - write it down that is (George has probably heard some of that).

Ironically, just today, while driving with my two kids, a big black new Honda Pilot or some big SUV like that, honked his horn behind me for three miles all the way down Lander Road, riding so close to my rear bumper that I was shaking and my kids were nervously trying to figure out what the guy was doing. The traffic was too heavy for him to go around me (plus there were double yellows) and I couldn't pull over because he was that close to me - he would have hit me had I even slowed down to move over to let him pass (but there was no where to pass).

It was extremely scary to me and the guy had his middle finger up at me at the two stop signs I had to stop at, shoving them into his front window and mouthing what I imagine is the common phrase that goes with that hand gesture. He was a white guy, probably 30 or younger.

What on Earth possessed him, I can't say. But such indiscriminate anger, in a car. There's just too much of it.

Thanks for posting this. I've been taking heat for shutting down anonymous comments, and I'm glad other people out their prefer civil society and polite dinner conversations...

Thanks a lot, I'm glad you like the blog!

I enjoy your blog very much and I appreciate your posts on the food and wine forum.

I completely agree with you! Sometimes I wonder how people were raised. I might think certain things about people, but I try never to say it out loud and especially not to them. I think it is ok to disagree with opinions and I am not sure why sometimes the posts get so "snarky".

If someone doesn't agree...just let it go. I saw what happened on your Blue Point post. I have never been to Blue Point. I have a very small budget for restaurant eating, so when I go out, I tend to pick something that has outstanding reviews. Your post and the comments by Michael Walsh give me guidance as to where to spend my restaurant dollars.

Keep up the good work.
Elissa Hock (elissaria)