I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering if my posts are the ones that are upsetting to other members of the forum/community. I'd offer the following thoughts:

First, if I offend with my posts, I would like to recieve a respectfully worded PM that explains what came across as aggressive or unkind. While I do have some strongly held beliefs, I strive--sometimes unsuccessfully--to express them respectfully. When I catch myself missing the mark, I try to correct it with a follow up post, but I don't always catch it. I'd hate to feel like I have to second guess everything I say and would rather trust that others will gently let me know if I've offended.

Second, I don't read every thread. I spend time on threads that are personally relevant, interesting or helpful. It seems to me that all threads shouldn't have to be all things to all people. What draws me to this forum has evolved over time. I came initially in an attempt to better understand my children. I still come here for that purpose, but as my understanding has grown, so has my need to look at broader issues and to try to hash through issues that impact school policy. I do that so that I can work through my thinking in a community of people who understand giftedness--at a variety of levels--before trying to work through the issues IRL with a cross-section of people who may or may not understand giftedness. Some of those discussions definitely ignite strong passions and feelings in myself and others, but I think/hope they will become the foundation for meaningful change in our schools. I don't want to lose the opportunity to have those disagreements here. Is it not simply possible for us to choose to participate in the threads that match our interests and styles? I am supportive of the idea that the OP can put in their subject line or original post a "handle with care" comment that would alert the rest of us to proceed with a little extra caution.

One of my biggest fears is that this forum becomes so geared to being supportive only, that it ceases to be a place where we can get some honest context for our experiences. One of the most important things to me when I came was to get a concrete sense of how to interpret my childrens' abilities. IRL I was getting a lot of vague responses and it prevented me from understanding where my children did or didn't fit and what they might or might not need. Here I read about children whose abilities were significantly different than mine in some ways, very similar in others. Had I come and just gotten a blanket reassurance that my child was probably gifted (because that would be considered supportive in some odd way), I would be no better off than when I started. I never view the offering of milestones as oneupmanship--our kids aren't in the sames schools and communities. They aren't in competition with one another. It is a unique opportunity to honestly share and understand how gifted, bright, typical/atypical etc. our children are, so that we can effectively and knowledgeably know when to advocate and when to relax.

Those are my two--or three--cents, fwtw....