Something I find that is often lost in the fog, forums are not free. They are usually privately owned websites operating for specific purposes and funded by their owners. We are invited to become members and help contribute to the success of the forum but ultimately it is no one's right to be here without the owner's permission. As a privately owned and operated forum we agree to accept and abide by the owner's rules. In order to remain active on the forum we are expected to be civil. If at any time we are not pleased with the activities on a particular forum we are free to leave and not return. The owner is equally free to moderate the forum as he sees fit and eliminate or deny access to anyone who fails to remain in line with the forum rules. It's pretty basic. Play nice or go home.
As for how we coexist as individuals on a forum where we are often quite passionate about our hobbies and lives, it isn't much different than how we go about our daily lives interacting with those around us. We learn how to get along, share, encourage others to understand our thoughts, try to understand other's thoughts, teach, learn, give, take, and hopefully all in the spirit of kindness. It is inevitable that there will be the occasional conflict of opinions but peaceful resolution trumps creating a mountain out of a mole hill. "Peace is not absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." Those words were spoken by Ronald Reagan. I believe they have a ring of truth.
Sometimes actions must be taken for the good of the forum. House cleaning is sometimes necessary to maintain the forum's mission. This action is usually at the sole discretion of the owner or a party of individuals who help support the owner. It is rarely an enjoyable task to eliminate any individual's access to a forum and it seldom happens without much effort to the contrary to keep it from happening. The ax doesn't drop at first falter but when all else fails it becomes the last resort.
We are most fortunate to have an audio forum such as AudioShark where good people can gather, foster friendships, share audio journeys, learn, grow, be entertained, brag, shop, sell, and just have fun as part of our daily lives. We are able to enjoy this forum as a gift from its owner. Ultimately we get to remain active and valued members by being good stewards, contributing in a positive way to ensure this forum's long term success.
I'll step down now.