Keep in mind I don't make the rules here. I didn't write the ToS. My job is to make sure that everyone participating follows the ToS. 

Sometimes I have to delete posts or threads that I actually agree with, but they go against ToS so I can't just let them stay. There was one thread a week or two ago that if it were up to me I would have let it stay because it's an interesting topic to me, but I had to X it anyway because it went against ToS and had nothing to do with Poser.

It would be great if I didn't have to delete any posts or lock any threads. But if I didn't then the flame wars would burn incessantly and that would drive many more users away until the only ones left were those who enjoy creating forum battles, because everyone else is too afraid to post anything for fear of being attacked by those users. That's not a productive forum. 

One of the forums that I used to moderate was created by members who left another site for exactly those reasons. The previous site went virtually unchecked for years. It covered several topics from music to movies and books, art, religion and politics, etc. At one point it had a massive number of active users and was a great place to find like-minded people. It was loosely moderated by the site owners, but over time they started allowing anyone to say anything and viciously attack anyone who disagreed. The only things that would get deleted were comments made against the site owners themselves, usually for not moderating the site. So I watched what was once a fun place to visit break down over time and turn into a blood bath dominated by a small handful of people who thought they had the right to say whatever they pleased to anyone who dared to disagree with their way of thinking. Today that site barely has any activity, because that same handful of people continue to troll and are quick to attack anyone that comes along, new or old. The trolls have taken over and the owners clearly don't care because they still make money on their advertising, and that's all that matters to them. How they still manage to get advertisers willing to pay them is beyond me.

And that's exactly what would happen here too if nothing ever got deleted. So that's why moderators are important, especially when you have a site with as large a membership as we have here. Sometimes things will seem unfair, but I try to be as fair as possible to everybody and give everyone a chance to correct whatever they might be doing wrong. I'm not trying to be a hard-ass or make anyone feel unwelcome. Except the trolls. 

 

~Shane