[HLin NC]

We old hands forget that there are new people always coming to the forum.
New hands don't realize that many of the questions asked are questions already answered. Most new posters at any forum will be instructed to read the FAQ's before posting. At some forums, particularly the more technical or hard core fan (sports, music, what have you), a newbie can get seriously scorched for asking a perceived "bad question".

Picking a handle like "refumpire" leads others into thinking that one would already know the biz. Some questions asked are probably better off asked in realtime at a local meeting or from a mentor.

Finally, this and a few other officiating sites we seem to all frequent, are not fan oriented sites. Most of us participating are experienced officials and the discussions tend to lead to more technical or historical perspectives not elementary topics.

I'm not saying its ok to be rude and I'm not saying I've not done it. Some of us have just been around longer and are more familiar and thus more casual with our comments sometimes. Kind of like you might say something to a longtime co-worker that you wouldn't say to someone your company just hired.

I learned very quickly in this business though, if your feelings are easily bruised, this may not be the best "hobby" to pick up. That varsity coach, who's livelihood somewhat depends on how his game goes, will be a whole lot rougher than we'll ever be.