THANKS------Ed W

Sorry ED,I have only just picked this upIn no way was my reply intended to offend. I thought you were knocking MAAM, and was puzzled why. I should have been a bit more specific in what I meant.It's amazing how what you write can be so easily mis-interpreted, and that applies to both your question and my reply.My apologies for that.Regards, Barrie

Hi Barrie,Hopefully your apology will be acepted in the same spirit that it is offered.Unfortunately this and other Forums are subject to all the obvious pitfalls that occur when people fail to write what they mean. Its hard enough when both are speaking the same language and come from the same culture (a failing of the Brits and the Americans is that because we speak essentially the same language we fool ourselves into thinking that we fully understand each other) but add the complexity of a poster from a country for whom English is a second language and the situation is ripe for misunderstanding.The only real solution is a good dose of tolerance and, dare I say it, a little discipline in proof-reading an initial post or reply before hitting the Send button. Pause for just a second and check that what you've written is actually what you mean to say, and that what you may be responding to is actually saying what you think it is !Equally regrettable is the fact that not everyone bothers to read the notes carefully prepared by a packages author or has been simming for years. All too often the same basic questions will crop up. For some this really is new ground, even if it is common knowlege to the experienced simmer. Back in the "Dark Ages" we all started out knowing nothing and were grateful for those who knew more and could help.This has turned out to be a longer reply than I had planned, so I'll conclude with the request to everyone that feels like responding to a posting that strikes a chord to maybe just checking the number of postings the message-writer has made as well as their location, if given.Cheers from sunny Uxbridge, UKAlastair