I know there's enough sycophancy and back-slapping here as it is, but I've just had a powerful reminder of why I appreciate this site so much and thought I'd share it.

I've just posed a question on a guitar forum about whether I got a bad deal on a part exchange. The shop gave me £100 for my old amp, told me it would probably be sold on for £150, and now have it on display for £189. I asked the forum - in my first ever post - if I'd been cheated. Now, I don't mind being told I'm wrong. In fact, now I'm better informed I'll readily admit I have little grounds for complaint, especially as shops will often mark second hand gear up in the expectation of receiving a lower price. But what shocks is the sheer glee the other posters (many of whom displaying a lengthy list of vintage and modified guitar gear under their username like a badge of pride) have taken in telling me I'm wrong. One, 'Metalrulez', has told me to 'man up and move on'.

Hey, maybe I'm being thin-skinned. Maybe I should man up and move on from both my shop encounter and the guitar forum. But I can't help thinking if I'd had a similar experience, say, trying to offload my copy of Sade's Diamond Life at the record and tape exchange, I'd have had a more sympathetic response (even if it basically amounted to 'you're wrong') if I related it here.