Yes. Read this article:
http://www.outsports.com/columns/20031217buzinskiapology.htm
We all clear on what an actual apology is? And what a non-apology apology is? Good.
If you are going to offer an apology, offer one that is sincere and not you saying “Well, I’m sorry you are so stupid.” Otherwise, don’t fucking bother, it’s just doubly insulting.
One more thing-- how exactly is my pointing out that your “apology” was really NOT one “insulting you”? Yet somehow, you say that characterising my actions as “stupid” and “assinine” is NOT meant to be insulting? What the fuck kind of double standard is that?
I do not have any problem with what you said in the ATMB thread. My problem is 100% with THE WAY you said it. What is so fucking wrong with saying, “Look, this kind of thing might make us legally vulerable, and we don’t want that. So, the discussions you are talking about are not okay with us.”
Jesus Christ, we are not all the fucking morons you seem to think we are. Most of us are able to look at advice we are given and make a rational decision about whether it applies to our particular situation or not. Some of us have doctors who are not very fucking helpful and can’t be fucking bothered to take the time to answer our questions. They are just little cogs in the vast HMO machine, and the next cog is going to rush out of the exam room just as fast as the cog I have now. Most of us in that situation don’t have another choice for health care or can’t afford it if we do. And we’re the lucky ones in American society-- we actually have some access to medical care! The minor stuff, we are on our own. We can’t expect much more from our doctors than to get a diagnosis and have a prescription thrown at us as they run out the door. We have to gather the information we can and make up our own minds on how to proceed.
Granted, there are always going to be a few morons who can’t rationally decide things and will do any stupid thing they are told. It pisses me off to no end that everything in society is now geared to protecting these morons from suing people when they injure themselves with their own stupidity, but I know the SDMB doesn’t have much choice in that matter. I think you are going overboard in this instance, I don’t like it, but that’s the way it is. Fine.
However, I am not one of those morons, and I don’t appreciate being lumped in with them. If I take some advice and it happens to cause me some harm, it’s not the other poster’s fault for offering it, it’s mine for taking it. Therefore, I carefully consider the advice I am given and only do those things that I think have little or no potential for harm. So far, the worst thing that has ever happened to me from following advice on a message board was ending up with 5 quarts of inedible chili. Give us some fucking credit for having half a brain, okay?
And fer crissakes, instead of going around complaining that all these people are taking what you say as insults when you “don’t intend” that-- maybe you should think perhaps people are taking what you say as insults because THAT’S HOW YOU ARE FUCKING SAYING IT. I’m far from the first person that you’ve pissed off without “intending” to. Although frankly, I think you are just being disingenous and did intend to be insulting. Your non-apology apologies point in that direction, as well.