[ddemchuk]

sure, I admit the emailer went on to judge, but his initial email was:

> Hello, I'm citing your work for a debate article I'm using > about space colonization and how it is improbable. I do > need credentials however, and I've yet to find them online. > If you could reply with your credentials that'd be great.

No harm in that email, very simple.

But then the blogger went on to whip out his e-peen and tell the kid to go to his wikipedia rather than just write "I'm a self taught novelist who thoroughly researches his topics he writes about but doesn't have credentials in the traditional sense".

EDIT: I apparently have no idea how to do quotes on HN despite my valiant attempt to do so. I apologize.

[ramchip]

Regarding formatting: http://news.ycombinator.com/formatdoc

  Using two spaces indentation can work

Italics also work.

[ddemchuk]

Thanks for that!