Sandy, thanks for a thoughtful and heartfelt response and for calling my attention to this thread. And Sporty, thanks for mentioning the original incident.

I think it's really important that there be space in this monastary for each of us to describe how the sofware profession treats us as individuals. What's it like to be a foo Perl progrmmer where foo is a different ethnicity, gender, age, whatever, than I am? I would hope that PM would be one of the places I could start to learn about that.

That's what flame wars and endless debates are all about. That's what stereotypes are all about. You have a tool you can use, you have a beacon of truth and light, you have wisdom and compassion for your fellow human, that's nice ... but dont bother me while I'm eating.

• bias is everywhere
• greatness and recognition don't always go together
• for every pair of eyes, there is a different way of seeing the world
• sometimes 'the best tool for the job' is whichever one pays their rent
• sometimes 'the best tool for the job' is whichever one strokes their ego
• honorary titles are niether necessary nor sufficient for open-mindedness
• no one is free from being looked down upon by at least *someone*
• no one is free from being admired or envied by at least *someone*
• even a flea-bitten dog is better off than a dead lion
• nothing is as simple as it appears on the outside
• for proof, look in the mirror

Put another way, many of the negative experiences we encounter each day, month, year, are perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy. Does that make it any less real? No. But to continually be in denial that we might be the proverbial accident-waiting-to-happen, really doesn't do anyone much good. So, I poke a bit. I wanna know. I've discovered a lot of things about myself by such poking, so I also poke others likewise. Natural reaction. {grin}