Do posters intend to hurt the feelings of other members?

More and more, posts are initiated for the purpose of generating controversy or pushing people’s buttons.

Other posts are just plain ridiculous.

In other cases, a post with an obvious error is initiated by an inexperienced member, and these tend to get shot down (appropriately, I think) at the outset.

Ananimity removes the social pressure of civility. This allows people with dark dispositions to regress to their otherwise mean, mentally ill true personality.  

Even the worst human traits show up in this community.  And this is shocking to who?

When I was in the USAF during residency we had a primitive 'email' system but anything you wrote could be seen by everyone in the hospital. All of us residents were very close and all got along quite well but we liked to give each other a hard time in good humor.

I can remember being approached by a number of hospital staff and nurses about how all of us residents seemed to hate each other and were so mean spirited.

We all knew the ribbing was in jest. Its what tied us together during those stressful years (working 90-100 hours per week, sometimes 36 hours without sleep). But it didn't translate that way to others.

Point being, it can be hard to decipher internet communication. Sometimes we take offense when none is intended.