Would you guys actually
like to have a week of "stifling over-moderation" to see what it looks like? It can be quickly arranged for you...
No, thought not. I don't want that either.
Personally I prefer a quiet life as a moderator too - which is why we have historically been very much laissez-faire - but with the corollary that the members adhered to the spirit of the rules if not the letter of them (and the rules themselves are few and not onerous) by self-control. If that self-control is lost, then the obvious consequence is that moderation must become more active.
The guideline "
Don't post on a thread unless you are involved in a transaction or are requesting further information" has been there, unaltered since May 2013 - which is considerably longer than many contributors to this particular thread have been registered as members. The only thing that has changed is that it is being more rigorously applied than in the past.
We as moderators have to tread a thin indistinct grey line here - as
@globalm has eluded - recent quibbles over the practice of posting on other people's BST threads have lead to at least one long-term member (he was the original poster of the thread, not the one making the comment about the price/efficacy of the product being sold) requesting his account be closed due to the response his BST post elicited from a considerably newer member. That isn't the way to grow or retain members then.
I make no value judgement on who was right, I have enough to fill my life without attempting to resolve circular "x said, y said" petty arguments.
At the same time counter to that, we now have people complaining that they're prevented from contributing. So that isn't the way to grow or retain members either then.
Perhaps we don't always get it right in what (and indeed who) we allow and what we remove - but for everyone's collective sanity - "
Don't post on a [BST]
thread unless you are involved in a transaction or are requesting further information" - if the seller doesn't know the answer, he can request assistance from the hive mind of TSR - if another member knows by all means send the person asking for more information a private message/conversation.
What we absolutely will not entertain are messages in BST praising the low price, carping about the high price, wishes of good luck (or bad) to the poster or any other petty agendas that one member may have (or perceive he has) with another.
Incidentally, registered & active membership continues to grow month on month, posting volume continues to grow (which is actually unusual for this time of year compared to the previous six - typically as spring arrives, posting volume tends to drop). Page impressions continue to grow (again unusual for spring - usually it starts to drop until the nights start to draw in again).
Most of the people there are more interested in acquiring stuff than selling stuff. The hardware sold is usually vintage user grade or modern Merkur/Edwin Jagger/Muhle. Their BST posts are limited to one post and locked to replies. High end stuff usually gets sold via PM's, behind the scenes, between collectors.
