Do not derisively alter another poster’s name.
So it is okay for a guest of Free Republic to select a disrespectful handle, but it's not okay to derisively alter that nic?
So if I was to select "up-yours-with-a-two-by-four," another guest can't alter that with the obvious shortened version? It would seem appropriate not to select a disrespectful name to begin with, but I digress, I will follow the rules........and I apologize.
The difference is your calling him "Puny" is making it personal whereas his handle is not focused on any particular Freeper and is therefore not making it personal.
Also, the mods ban new posters with unacceptably rude or profane handles.