I've learned that ironic self-referential humor has a surprisingly low chance of making it across the Internet gap.

<sarcasm>You don't say?</sarcasm>

I'm not really sure about Furcas's remark. There is a real correlation between having a "thick skin" and propensity to be mean to others, and far too many people seem to think that the former entitles them to the latter. This is why Crocker's Rules have been so widely misinterpreted.