But he said it a lot nicer than me. The first Cary Tennis articles I read made me think "Hmm, what a bunch of wimpy girly-man pseudometrosexual pap. This guy won't last long." Every time I've seen a new article posted by Cary I think "Geez, he's still here?" I've read him a couple times just to see if he's improved. He hasn't. I will read the letters some times for the laugh value, but never the advice.

It's bothered me a lot that Salon maintains King Kaufman, who writes the most trite sports column in existence. How wonderful it would be to have a really bright and different sports writer! Cary is even worse than trite - he doesn't even register on my radar. I don't even bother pining ffor a good advice columnist, because I don't notice the one who's there now. Oh for the Salon on yore!

It looks like Cary might have wrote this letter himself just to see the reaction.

Anyway, though the letter is 'over wrought,' I agree with the basic sentiment of it and several of the other letter writers. Salon is slipping and slipping badly. There used to be a lot more essays that took thought and probably some good editing. Now most essays read like typical quick blogs (I have an opinion and can type and push send).

Carey's answers are not improving and his choice of letters to answer is getting to the point that even 'Dear Abbey' would wince.

Yes, I click, but not often and mostly to just read the letter, barely the skim the answer.

As a premium member since the start I now spend more time at New York Times, Huffington Post, and others and doubt I will continue with my money here.

The publishers and editors need to go back 6-7 years and read through what used to be offered. May not always agree with Ms. Paglia, Ms. Bright, etc. but the writing and selection was more 'salon' like.

Believe Salon serves a purpose with its 'progressive' view, but it no longer is a 'must read' destination.

Your post summarizes the biggest problem of the writing world today: an unwillingness to be critiqued. If those national writers are unwilling to be debated, then they don't really have anything to offer. That you won't submit says more about your insecurity than the quality of Salon.

Cary Tennis has been growing as a writer. His answers have become more thoughtful, and his writing is a lot more coherent than just a year ago. I think the feedback he gets here has helped cause that.

There are writers out there who will never be published, because they do not have the connections to get out of the slush pile. Other awful writers (the whole plagarism thing) will be published because of their connections. The writers at Salon and Slate are confident and competent enough to put themselves out here and get instant feedback. I respect them much more than I respect the others.

I find Salon's writing to be consistently good, with a few exceptions (Ms. Poster Child for Taking Her Meds-Waldman- comes to mind). I read it for the political/military articles, which are excellent.

I hope that Salon makes it. I applaud the editors and writers here for their vision.

Cash the check from Salon and don't bother to read the letters.

Thanks for not submitting your articles to Salon. Who wants to read anything by someone with such a thin skin anyway?

...if any changes in writing content and quality are not really the result of editorial decisions, but because a segment of Salon's audience is driving away the very writers they might prefer to read.

Oh, well.

As a freelance writer, I will pitch articles to many other places before Salon. Salon used to be respected as one of the few online sources where published clips counted for something with major print magazines. Maybe that's still true. But with the letters format being the way it is now, there's no way I'm willing to subject myself to the vitriolic letters that just about every article here receives these days. Judging by the letters, one would think that 50 percent of Salon readers absolutely hate everything that's getting published here. But, funny, they keep reading it anyway.

The Salon letters are an absolute train wreck, often more entertaining than the articles themselves. But I don't think that's a good thing. It functions more like an online debate board, where the topic of each debate is given to us in article form. That, more than any of the articles, is what is tarnishing Salon. It has become a slightly more literate form of the Jerry Springer show, satisfying the base human urge to fight and witness fighting. Is Salon so desperate for readership that they don't care if people come here only to read the fights in the letters sections?

Furthermore, I know a significant number of nationally published writers that could have something worthwhile to contribute here. But, like me, they choose not to submit to Salon, not wanting to subject themselves to the heckling. It's a shame, really. Salon could have the better writing that all of the rude, petty letter writers claim to want to read here, if only the letter writers could realize that they are making this a place where a lot of writers don't want to be published anymore.

Nail on head. Still love Cary, but Pax perfectly articulate the vague dissatisfaction I'd been feeling lately.

That was gold.

There's a name for people who do things repeatedly and obsessively, even against their better judgment. It's called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Scan a few advice columns' archives and I'm sure you can find some helpful advice...

I have a great husband and family too, and a lovely house in the Hudson Valley, and an adorable dog. I wish everybody did (okay, I actually don't think it would work out real great if everyone moved to the Hudson Valley).

But a lot of people struggle just to get through the day, and they reach out for help. Fortunately, a lot of good people extend a hand rather than just the middle finger. Despite what you claim you have, Everyreader, you don't have a soul, you don't have compassion, you don't have depth, you don't have insight, and you don't have a caring heart. So you don't have much. And God help anyone in your family who doesn't live up to your obsessively perfectionistic standards.

The only Cary writers I get truly exasperated with are the unbelievably selfish/shallow/self-absorbed ones (not unlike Everyreader!). A lot of other people who write, I truly worry about, even though I've never met them, and I send up a silent prayer that they'll be okay.

Mercifully, the woman who calls herself "Everyreader" is anything but!! I've read some great, compassionate, insightful letters in this section. Not everybody is an insecure asshole, who needs desperately to convince herself (even if she is the only one who believes it) that she is superior to all humanity in order to get through the day.

As Todd Rundgren once sang:

"Take a dive from your ivory tower and fall on

Everyone will catch you, everyone..."

I, for one, would find an ivory tower pretty lonely.