“Anatomy of a Well Formed LART”
by Phillip B. Holmes

A derogatory email or publicly displayed post to groups, lists or forums on the Internet are often referred to as a flame or a LART (Loser Attitude Readjustment Tool). It is hyper-critical that said communications be correct in grammar, punctuation and spelling , as the reciprocating individual(s) may be given more ‘ammunition’ for future mockery and criticism. It is highly recommended by more experienced LARTers (which are often hackers / computer engineers) that less experienced LARTers employ a spell and grammar checker prior to replying to their intended audience AND that all facts used in said content are free of factual discrepancies. Typing in all caps (especially the subject lines) is an immediate flag for all to review and are often the most malformed LARTs on the Internet. If needed, many examples of well formed LARTs can be found all over the web. However, copying another LARTer’s LARTs is often looked down upon by senior LARTers.

Often LARTers are overcome by emotions at the moment of sending the LART or flame, giving hours of fun filled enjoyment for ‘lurkers’ in the public forum or group. Lurkers are readers or subscribers of public forums or groups that do not contribute to said forum, only follow it’s content. Lurker’s will often ’sit on the side lines’ with a buttery bowl of popcorn, ready to munch upon, whilst the engaging hours of remedial dialog between the said ‘open mouth heavy breather LARTers’ (individuals that seem to enjoy embarrassing themselves in front of the entire planet) continues.

As you can imagine, if you choose to participate in this type of mutual abuse, the ‘anatomy of a LART’ is an important topic to review. In conclusion, following correct LARTer form will save you hours of ‘red faced’ moments in the future.

Hope This Helps,

Phillip B. Holmes
http://myspace.com/phillipholmes
p.s.

I need gigs!