The request for "givens and druthers" doesn't strike me as a cheeky response unless I just don't have the context of it or there is more in the post that communicates attitude. "Givens and druthers" is a phrase that has taken on meaning after a MR magazine article used it to describe a clearly thought out list of what one wants and is willing to forego in a layout. This list is helpful for planning. Based on the sentence quoted above I think the poster merely wanted to hear more about the guy's interests. As for poor responses from people on another forum I've come to realize that each forum has its audience. Folks that aren't as interested in that kind of crap tend to come here.

I have no problem with people letting others know about The Gauge but please be mindful of other forum rules about that and avoid doing it as a way of saying "this forum stinks...try The Gauge in stead!"

The community of model railroaders online is a small one and we do tend to get to know each other across forums.
Ralph