Side-of-the-mouth font? You know, when someone wants to slip in a comment in conversation but knows it might rile people up, so they just sort of mutter it out of the side of their mouth?

Or when someone wants to make a small joke, but follow up with a serious question. Which is what the poster did. Unless there's some history here that I don't know (and if there is please let me know), I think there's a chasm of doubt here which this typically friendly and engaged poster has earned the benefit of.

I'm sorry Jessica, but saying that the rudeness is loud and clear doesn't make it so.

You know that I don't hesitate to call anyone on things I see as offensive, but I'm just not seeing it here. YMMV.

I'll address this to ita because she seems to be the deity of the server load matters. And as far as I'm concerned, server load trumps just about everything else. But if anyone else had access to the data, feel free.

-- How much of a strain is there on the servers right now? Maybe a better way to put it (I'm nearly illiterate when it comes to hardware questions), are we in danger of reaching maximum capacity anytime soonish?

-- Is there usually a spike in posts shortly after a new thread opens?

I suspect all threads are not created equal when it comes to increasing traffic. Not to mention that creating a thread may increase traffic, but not in the short term -- think the Firefly thread, which resulted in a big increase in traffic when it was publicized and not when it was created.

I'm sorry Jessica, but saying that the rudeness is loud and clear doesn't make it so.

But Jessica did (and frankly, I had a snippy response that I had typed up and wanted to post, then thought better of it because it pinged me too) and, given our process, she has a right to ask for an apology.

...given our process, she has a right to ask for an apology.

Absolutely, and I don't mean to say that Jessica is not allowed to ask for one. I also expect that the poster will apologize for the offense, unintended though it might be.

I'm concerned that the poster is being pegged as rude and inflammatory, which are charged and, yes, offensive terms to apply to someone whose offense was, in my view, completely unintentional. I don't want to raise the level of conflict in here, but I'm not going to stand by and let the poster be maligned either.

I'm concerned that the poster is being pegged as rude and inflammatory

Then you are misreading me. Saying that someone has said or done something rude is not an assault on their character. If I'd wanted to refer to a larger pattern of behavior, I'd have done so. In this case, I very deliberately referred to one post, and one post only as "rude and inflammatory." One post != person.

I'd like to avoid piling on and Jess can certainly stand on her own two feet, but my reaction was similar to hers.

I agree with Stephanie and Jess. It pinged me.

Has someone emailed the poster to alert him of the discussion here?

I'm concerned that the poster is being pegged as rude and inflammatory

I think this might be why some people think feelings are hurt in all the heated discussions. I never read this as a statement about the poster, but about the POST. I have so rarely seen statements or comments on an actual poster.

Has someone emailed the poster to alert him of the discussion here?

Can't remember the process, but I don't know that anyone has too. It's not like the discussion moved from another thread here. The post was posted here.

I think this might be why some people think feelings are hurt in all the heated discussions.

That's a good point.