[soapbox]

Of course it is Greg's board, so it is indeed his ultimate decision on who gets to post and who doesn't. Should he or other admins abuse that desgression, well, folks will leave!

I STRONGLY disagree with people deleting posts from regular members of the board, however. That simply sucks *L* I am sure there are others (as evidenced by posts below) that would rule folks like Stu a "troll" and send them West without remorse. But that would be stupid, and detrimental to the board in general. I think some of the regulars on the board (no, get serious. There are ALOT of folks besides Stu that get crazy at times!) get unbalanced by rage or percieved slights at times, and I am one who thinks the Horse's Arse chip though funny the first time, is really tired and old, and the beatings should stop ;).

However, that said, other BB's have moderators, but those moderators are known (pretty much with very few exceptions). Why on earth would a moderator, who is moderating within the BB's guidelines, be afraid to be publicly displayed as the moderator? Anonymity in this regard at it's very worst smacks of impropriety, and at the very minimum allows for the ability of others to take a swipe at what may only be a perceived impropriety. Why even allow the possibility to exist that someome might interpret a deleted post as a punitive measure (or actually use it as such)?

NO bulletin board should always be happy-skippy and bounding through the fields of daisies. Nor should it always be derisive and painful to read.
To not have debate, arm-wrestling, and pissin' matches makes for the cookie-cutter, mcdonald's version of a bulletin board. Booooorrring.

Some folks need a thicker skin. Some need armor. Some need a APC.

In MY mind, a "troll" is a non-regular-poster on the board that slaps a passing-through post on the board to get folks riled up or to try to sell an off-topic thang. Not a regular poster with an unpopular point of view.

If a moderator is involved in a pissin' match (oh yes it does happen *shaking finger atcha*) they should recuse themselves from the ability to delete posts on that thread. Moderator Friends of said involved-moderator should know better. Alas, life doesn't work that way, so yes, everyone should have the ability to complain/protest to Greg (or an apponted ombudsman) when a moderator needs moderating.

You'll never get everyone to skip happily through the tulips holding hands and singing "The Sound of Music" theme...but it's not that hard to keep a BB managable and viable...I think Greg and his site are evidence of that.
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