Please allow me to add some comments in here.
I am a member of several different websites, and have moderated a few of them. This is the only one I still moderate. Why? Because it is the one that is run the "best" in my opinion. The ownership is top rate, the admin's are professional, and the staff is level-headed. (Obviously, I'm biased, so feel free to take a grain of salt with that ...)
Speaking of opinions, yes, we moderators have them. But here is a distinction I learned from another MOD on another site. All members have the "right" to disagree with my opinions on oil, grease, maintenance, tires, and anything else I would profess here in regard to my contributions as a member. When I post as a member, I am under the same rules, and I am open to debate. However, when I operate as a Moderator, I work under a different umbrella. You do NOT have the "right" to violate the rules of this site.
This is "America", and the rights of the site owner trump those of the member; this is a private enterprise that exists in the public domain. But let us not forget that this site is world-wide in it's use; don't be so small-minded as to think that only "Americans" have rights, and/or our rights are wholly unique at the exclusion of others. I am a boastfully proud, natural born citizen of the United States of America, but that has NOTHING, ZERO, NADA to do with my membership here. We have many quality members from around the globe. As a member, we are not forced to visit; we joined willingly via the acceptance of the rules of this site. If one cannot follow the rules, one is admonished and some type of corrective action may likely take place.
Please know that threads are not "deleted". We don't do that. What we do is move them to a quarantine area where only the staff can see them. It's a small but subtle distinction.
Why do we lock threads? At times, things go awry in a thread that is not so bad as to quarantine, but it should not be left to deteriorate. So, we leave it in view, but lock it. It is a judgment call, certainly. And the MODs have discretion to take these actions as they see fit.
For example, I'm going to lock this thread now. Why? Because it has run its course, and will only deteriorate from here. The credible information is here. The rules are known. Follow them or break them, it's up to you. But the actions of the staff are up to us.
We gratefully appreciate all members who visit, contribute, glean, and follow the rules. They are our greatest asset. We respectfully ask that if you cannot be one of those, please refrain from posting. In the absence of that recognition, we are obligated to intercede.
