IMO it is the nature and content of discourse that has changed... It has only been in the past two years or so that the content and manner of heated discussions has become intolerable to many and the demands for Moderator intervention tediously frequent. The Forum used basically to moderate itself. Sic transit...
You've got to be kidding!
DigitalDog v Gary Fong and numerous other 'pro v pro' colourful debates all come to mind.
If the 'nature and content of the discourse has changed' then please show me where and if someone feels it worth appealing to the Moderators, then I see no reason why he/she should or would want to remain anonymous – tag the thread/post with those who've appealed for moderator intervention … that would certainly alleviate the 'burden' on the Moderators, and take us back to, as you said above, a forum that moderates itself.
Anyway, my point was simple: by banning a free discussion you limit participation and thereby lessen interest in LuLa. It wasn't necessary or Michael's policy before and I see little demonstrable justification for it now. Michael was quick to ban, albeit temporarily, offenders and I really can't recall him ever deleting a whole thread on a capricious whim – certainly never in the numbers we've recently witnessed. Locking, yes - deleting, no.
Which in itself raises a different question. I've reposted part of your terms of service below. The parts relevant to this post highlighted in bold.
Given that anyone posting , pro bono, on this forum retains copyright to their posts and that you, the publisher retains the right 'to remove objectionable content,
within a reasonable time frame ...' doesn't give you the right to arbitrarily remove posts that aren't, and were not, in breach of your terms of service,
retrospectively.
So one has to question whether by deleting whole threads, as opposed to just the offending individual posts, or simply locking a thread in lieu thereof, you were in breach of your own terms of service.
Food for thought ?
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