solidgoldbrass etc, the same argument can be used for just about anything, occupations, benefits recipients, erm.... ethnicity, just because we dont know anything about eachother doesnt make it right, or is indeed not an excuse to start slating at random!
Imagine:
Name the 5 worst career choices
Name the 3 most intolerant ethnic groups
Name the 5 worst places to live in Britain
etc.
There will always be somebody who says "nursing" or "teaching", "traffic warden" "Management consultant" or "prime minister", there will very likely be somebody who pipes up "I am a nurse/teacher/ prime minister" and then arguments for and against, whether nurses/teachers are crap or not, etc and hurt follows.
Saying "hey come on, lighten up folks, we are strangers, this is not real life" or "FGS, how could I know that you are primeminister/nurse?? I did not mean you in particular" is simply a little short sighted.
It is because we dont know the full history of every mumsnetter we should be a little careful and show some courtesy in our posting, and try to refrain from upsetting people with singling out the mumsnetter you like the least, the name you like the least, the country you like the least, etc...
On the same token, you cant one moment come here and ask advice and take a lot of peoples opinions on board, and the next turn around and say that the opinions of strangers does not count. If you accept the good, you also need to accept the bad. It IS real people.
May I bring foreward a hypothesis: If opinions of strangers does not count, it logically follows that one has no use of a forum. It is just mindless timekilling. If the opinions of strangers does not count for you then maybe posting on a forum is pointless and one should refrain from posting as it is just mindless timekilling. If it is mindless timekilling, and one get ones kicks of posting controversial posts in full knowledge that it hurts some it is no longer just mindless time killing, is it? It is something else entirely.
If the opinions of strangers does not count, you should have no business on a forum, unless you deliberately seek to post controversial threads and then sit down with the popcorn.