Tot,
OK, cool. Anyway, I think I got it why you thought that way.
Hehe, don't think you are a jerk, just very very blunt. If I looked at you through Japanese eyes, though, MAN! you might be the biggest jerk on these forums! But I think it's cool that there are so many different personalities on this forum. You definitely make it interesting and funny sometimes.
Colby,
Yes, I have definitely been around this forum for awhile. But, I tell you, it IS hard to talk in English sometimes. Not because of grammar or anything like that. It's the difference in cultures and how things are worded to communicate certain emotions.
It doesn't just happen on this board. I always get confused by how to word things! My thought process goes like this "If I word it the Japanese way, it sounds polite and a little modest. But wait, you know that wording English that way to Western minds doesn't sound right and will probably be taken the wrong way. (so i try to word it like something natural) Crap! Look at that! It's so rude and arrogant!"
Then, alot of times I end up trying to somehow mix the two to create an equilibrium. Doesn't really work though.
It takes ALOT of subtle finesse and the ability to kinda "read minds" to communicate properly in Japanese and I definitely find that that kind of thing goes right over Westerners' head!
Anyway, sorry for the ramble.