Hello People of PEP! We're glad you missed us, and trust that we feel the same way for you.

No, we have not closed shop. No, you don't have to transfer to another site to chat with each other. And no, we haven't been giving you the snub because your comments have upset us.

But yes, we took a small break. Yet even as we did, we uploaded around nine stories for you, up until 10:37 last night. That means that even while we were having a bit of rest and recreation with our contributing writers, we didn't have the heart to shut down. We didn't want you missing your daily upload of entertainment.

And yes, we've spoiled you. You are so used to getting ten to fifteen stories, every day, on the average, that a small dip in number gets you imagining the worst.

Worry not. For as long as you're there, we will be here.

We find that many of your comments have a meanness that makes us uncomfortable.

They show a need to hit and humiliate, to slash and burn, and to generally treat like scum the celebrities you so want to read about. They show viciousness.

Where does that come from?

Is it envy of a lifestyle you secretly desire for yourself? Does it give you pleasure to bring down the famous because you're not? Does it make you feel bigger and taller, smarter and higher?

Or maybe you need the attention? And since the harsh comment attracts more response, and you like to chat back and forth, you keep going with your mean side.

Or can it be that you are bullied—where you are, in real life, in real time? And this is the forum you've chosen to get back at the world that doesn't treat you right?

Then we wonder: Is this the kind of community we are comfortable with? Are these the kind of people we want to attract? The kind of thinking we want all over the Net?

Since we go by the old belief that birds of the same feather flock together, you must imagine that our answer is: No!

But get it right, please. If we have to argue, let us argue about the same things at least.

Get it right: We don't mind negative comments. We don't mind you disagreeing with us even all the time. We won't take it against you if there are stars you just like and some you just don't. Why, we won't even get upset if you're the kind to find fault with everything.

And get this one right, too: We like plurality. We enjoy discussions and arguments and debates. We actually like chatting back. And we love it that you're so involved with PEP!

We want to think of you all as the world out there that this new, exciting technology has connected us to. At all hours of the day, we both know we're out there—and we're communicating with each other!

But get this right forever and ever: We don't like the meanness.

It is mean when you say that a star is mukhang patay, parang baklang retokada, or mukhang Michael Jackson na ginawang albino clown. There are more examples, but you're smart, you get our meaning.

We are sorely tempted to say: How beautiful are you? If you posted your picture on this site, what would others have to say about your face, your skin, or your body?

But we would rather you erase that. We don't want to reduce this to the lowest common denominator. We don't want to level all things to where they are muddiest and dirtiest and then proceed from there.

We don't want that kind of a world. We would rather proceed with what's nice and fun, curious and naughty, thoughtful and smart. Or even with someone argumentative and hard-to-please, or a perfectionist and a skeptic. Any of those we can live with.

The vicious and the mean, we cannot.