true and on the flip side of the coin...treat us like adults.
I'm not 100% sure if this "opt-in" forum will work.
I think it would be hard to have two levels of moderation within the same mod group. So, you could set it up to have a mini rec.scuba within Scubaboard (no rules, no mods). But would it get used? and do the powers that be want this forum in their backyard (so to speak).
I do know that I find the fact that pulling pictures of chicks in bikini's to be a bit on the silly side.
and IMO I think that threads get closed (and disappear) to quickly.
So other than canning the entire mod squad and starting fresh, what really can be done?
(Thats why I recommended a forum that is opt-in where the only moderation is to close threads for a day when they get overheated.)
I think sometimes we expect too much of the mods ... they're only human, after all.
If you take any random group of people and give them a gun, some will never use it, some will use it judiciously, and some will look for reasons to use it.
Mods aren't any different. Of course, they are not randomly chosen ... mods are selected based on the "personality" they project through their postings. But as we all know, Internet personalities don't always show the true person behind the keyboard.
Rules ... no matter how well-written ... are always subject to interpretation. And the actions of any given mod will be based on their interpretation of what they believe their job to be, based on those rules. Whatever the outward appearance, I think that all of the mods act in what they believe to be the best interest of ScubaBoard ... as they interpret those interests to be. I also think that Pete, and the admins, try to give mods as much latitude as possible ... as a statement of trust.
Where there are more than one human doing any given job, there will never be complete consistency. Put 50 or so of them doing the same job ... on a forum where the job involves dealing with a large number of other humans ... and expecting consistency is unreasonable. The only way to achieve that would be a complete absense of moderation.
And I'd be careful to wish for that ... it only works (to a degree) on forums that are small, close-knit, and where for the most part the participants know that sooner or later they'll be spending "face-time" with the other folks on the forum.
ScubaBoard simply doesn't have that dynamic.
The Anonymous Poster example we've seen right here in this thread should be a clue what would happen if the mods lightened up as you ask ... there would be a segment of users who would quickly find ways to use that freedom to be as disruptive as they possibly could be ... up to the point where the freedom would have to either be removed or the results would overwhelm the ability of everyone else to have any reasonable conversation.
Hence my comment above ... if we all behaved like adults, the mods job would be easy ... they'd be able to treat us like adults.
What you're asking for has been tried, to one degree or another ... it always ends up in a train wreck.
The inconsistency and tight moderation aggravates me sometimes too ... but, to be honest, I think it beats the alternative ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)