Jef, while I agree with you that an open forum is precisely that, open - it does not mean that anyone can just post anything to it that younger eyes can read. And what belongs in an Open Forum is up to the site's moderator, not its members. There is such a thing as social responsibility, discretion and class, and some folks seem to forget this. Personally, as I said before, I could care less what anyone thinks or says or writes....doesn't faze me personally in the least. But I'm not the only reader of this site. If people can't control themselves and some of the language and content they post, and some have very clearly shown that they cannot, for whatever reason does not matter, then they need to be moderated. Some of the posts that have come through here are vulgar, vile, combative (just look at this thread) and unncessary in the "OPEN" forum of an appliance enthusiasts website. And yes, we've got a few kooks onboard, which actually makes things kind of interesting, but that doesn't mean that everyone out there has to be able to read the rantings of a bunch of queens that get their panties in a waad at the drop of a feathered boa. So, what's better? Making an Open forum a closed forum, as Robert is proposing to do? Or banning the three topics that cause 95% of the commotion in the first place? Especially since they've got nothing to do with the art and science of appliances? I don't know, it's a tough call. But whatever the solution, it's just a shame that it has to come to it.
