Well, I've mulled this one over a couple of days.
I admit, I was curious if this was a perception problem on my part, and was curious how everyone else saw things. While certainly not everyone who flies AH posts here, I feel we got a fair cross-section of responses. It would seem that, while the things I see are not in my imagination, people do view the same circumstances quite differently (no surprise!

).
Sometimes, like anyone else, I get a little too close to something and lose perspective. The events of the last week or so of play seemed (to me) to grow worse and worse with regards to the one area that I truly find satisfying/frustrating- the community. I personally have a problem being a part of conduct that is disrespectful. More and more, this is the norm, not the exception.
I am not pointing fingers at anyone, believe me. I have been as guilty as any, and that is what disgusts me. You see, I am responsible for
my behavior, not anyone else's. No matter how someone treats me, I do not have to respond in kind. I have to remind myself of this all the time. And all too often lately I have committed the same acts as anyone else. That is wrong.
Here's the way I try to handle the online game; always treat everyone with respect, never make personal remarks about anyone, always behave as you would have others behave- in short, set an example.
We all know that there are those in our game that derive pleasure from upsetting others, and that has always been here. They pay their $30 I suppose, and have the right to do that up to a point. As I stated above, I am not leaving, but I will walk away from this in a heartbeat if I see myself beginning to emulate that type of behavior. No game is worth that for me.

I posted the original comment to see how others felt about the topic, and am thankful to see that there are many, many people that understand what this community is about. I thank all who made kind remarks directly to me (not necessary, but appreciated!). I challenge all of you to do this- for one night, every time someone knocks you down, type "gk" (good kill) over the open buffer, no matter if you thought it was or not. Every time you knock someone down, give them a "S!". I'm willing to bet that many people will be able to unsquelch the open channel if that was to happen...

P.S. I really feel that squelching the open is wrong for me, as I do help newbies that yell for help.