I'm not saying I don't understand the response. It's legitimate and understandable, and all the rest (I don't really thing the analogy of spitting was apt though, and to be honest, it's this I was responding to rather than the original rebuke)

But let's consider the original rebuke a second. What can it achieve?

I am saying that it will achieve nothing of substance in the long term, where a different approach may well have (I don't really know in this case). This is conjecture.

Consider now that the several people who may have read this thread who could have been productive in the bug scene may well now be put off by the attitude, regardless of the 'severity' of the offence.

I don't really do the bug thing, it's just too offputting. There are reasons I don't want to go into right now, but suffice to say that while I'm considered a relatively smart person but I cannot get my head around the esoteric nature of bug reporting, the patent disbelief of those who can do it notwithstanding. And I'm an educator betimes, so disbelief of understanding is something I'm familiar with. This disbelief and feeling of inadequacy is only reinforced when 'ignorance' is brought up as something that is potentially 'bad' and makes extra work for people. Being rather busy myself often, I understand not wanting to give others extra work. But I digress.

I just don't see the need to respond negatively to something when a positive response, even if firm, could not have achieved a better result.

For instance:

'Please just don't post spam or non-existent bugs. We're busy enough as it is. Thanks for understanding.'
104 characters.

The other response:
103 characters.

So much more *goodwill* could be achieved through one extra keystroke. Heck, if I removed the superfluous 'just' the nicer response beats it.

But that's just me.