I mean, are you trying to sound like a lawyer here?
YJ: "Your Honor, please instruct the witness to answer yes or no only."
Judge: "The witness will answer only yes or no."
YJ: "Did you, TomB, on the night in question, or on any other night, use an Internet resource to construct a Magic deck?"
TomB: "Ummm, well, yes, but..."
YJ: "Yes or no only TomB."
TomB: "Alright, yes then."
YJ: "Fine. And how do you perceive the question?"
TomB: "Ummm, how can I answer that question yes or no?"
YJ: "Don't be a wise guy. You can speak to the question freely, but do not deviate from the question only, as it pertains to you, in regard to your use of the Internet in constructing Magic decks, and make sure when you answer that you do not touch on the whole morality of the idea of playing with other people's ideas on deck construction thereby limiting what you can think up for yourselves. Instead, what we need to know here is exactly how you perceive the question of 'Do you use Internet resources for your decks?'"
TomB: "You mean you want me to decipher what the thought process was that prompted the question?"
YJ: "Well, no, not exactly..."
TomB: "Oh good, because I'd rather not go off on YJ about how he's obviously feeling a little guilty about going exclusively with Net Decks in his "Road to Tourneyland" series, and so he's decided to include all of us in his trip to the "Dark Side" of Magic, by implication, if necessary..."
YJ: "Right. That's not what we wanted to hear..."
But that
is what's going on here...
YJ, I'm sorry man. I think you already knew how I felt about this, but in case you forgot I'm one of the ones who thinks you should be building your own decks. Sure, the Internet is an invaluable tool in terms of being aware of what to expect out there, but, to me, all you're doing by playing a Net deck competitively is giving the competition a chance to use the sideboard they prepared just for people (decks) like you.
Wouldn't you rather surprise them? Wouldn't you rather create a deck, then get the satisfation of seeing people all over the Internet scrambling around to try and figure out just how they're going to stop it? Wouldn't it be a thrill to see the pros out there playing with your creation?
I would think it would be, but I doubt you'll see the point. It's all right though, because I think there's room for everyone here, and for all kinds of opinions on the subject. More than anything, I think that's what ticked me off in the Voting Topics thread about this - I had thought we had already decided there was room enough for both schools of thought to exist here - but you got a bit personal in your implication that anyone not, what, sophisticated enough?, to use Net decks is a Neanderthal who should "crawl back under their slimey rock and evolve some more".
Sorry, but I thought that was uncalled for, and I still think it was inappropriate. I haven't put you down for using Net decks - and I expect you to extend me (and people like me) the same courtesy when we choose not to use them.
Mutual respect is the foundation this site is built upon. Deal with it.