Howdy Kate,
I have to remind myself that the friendships we create on this forum are "virtual friendships" and these friendships exist only in the imagination.
It's easy for those of us who were around before the Internet, to employ the same social skills we developed for use in the real world, while socializing in cyberspace. Even when we are aware of the difference between real life friends and Virtual friends, it's easy to forget ourselves and "project our own "virtual warm feelings" onto others and have our real life feelings "virtually hurt" when they don't "respond virtually", in kind.
I've found myself feeling a little hurt or offended when someone misunderstood one of my poorly written comments and half baked ideas or when someone hit the dislike button after reading something I had written. I have to remind myself that the narcissistic side of my personality needs to be kept in check when interacting online with those I consider to be Virtual friends. It would be easy to become preoccupied with wanting ones comments to be admired by everyone or to develop and inflated idea about our own importance to this forum, only to be hurt by the realization that we are not the center of the virtual universe.
Also, it used to be that in order to be considered a bully, you actually had to do something mean to someone weaker than yourself. These days you can be labeled a bully by just typing a few disagreeable words in response to a comment made by someone you've never even met. I've read most of your posts Kate and I'm imagining you as someone who would be far from being easily bullied, virtually or otherwise.
Anyway, the nice thing is, it's up to us to choose how we will react in the physical world, to the goings on of our imaginary friends in the virtual world.
You always have something interesting to say or add to an ongoing discussion so I think you should just keep going as you have been only try not to wear your virtual heart on your virtual sleeve, (learned that lesson myself).
Pete
