I think this is about the 3rd time I've watched this sort of scenario play out on Scuba Board. Since you asked about what may drive people, I'll share my little 'pet theory' on the dynamics. Just my speculation, and I'll speak generally, as I don't know what specific conflict details led to this go-round.
1.) Scuba Board is a private board with a largely public audience, many of whom unconsciously have assumed social norms about how such social communities should run. I imagine we all do. We have a wide range of personalities, attitudes and interpersonal manners.
2.) Someone gets into conflict in a thread on a contentious issue. This is more inflammatory if the conflict is with a staff/moderator, and the member feels disadvantaged in the conflict, and may believe the staff have each other's backs and might collectively view the member negatively going forward.
3.) The member either feels censorship is excessive, or that a staff/mod. response was demeaning/insulting somehow. The perception is injustice. How to respond?
Ideally, the member would either let it go so the matter could cool off, private PM the staff in question and with rigorous politeness ask for feedback, present one's case in a polite manner, and try to work it out, or possibly privately PM another staffer and explain the situation in as non-inflammatory a way as possible. No matter how wronged and entitled to indignation you feel, inflaming things further will work against you.
Unfortunately, that's not how human nature works. It may be worthwhile to take a break from the board, but some people want to go permanently. Nothing is stopping them from a discrete, peaceful exit. Unfortunately...that's not how human nature works.
4.) Someone starts one of these 'How do I leave Scuba Board completely' threads. PUBLICLY. Could've PM'd a staff or the Chairman, but no, do it in a way that gets attention and stirs up a little drama.
5.) Presumably the wronged party believes him/herself the victim of injustice and considers it a service to the community that others know 'how things are here.' There's also the potential for a desire to be heard, in the service of dignity and a bit of validation to aid closure.
6.) Understandable, but that's not how it comes across to other people on the forum! It comes across as attention seeking, overly dramatic and whiny. Responses vary from restrained to a tad snarky. Which sets the person making the complaint and/or people sympathetic to him/her off further - perhaps responding to a staff or mod. post by accusing them of being unprofessional, having a bad attitude, etc... Which inflames things further.
7.) The member and/or his/her sympathetic viewers may feel outnumbered/outgunned by staff and others; the staff may not be in a position to publicly discuss the reasons actions were taken so they may feel at a disadvantage, also. Which could escalate resentment on either side.
8.) It's not practical to fully delete your historical presence from Scuba Board. Some members who don't yet understand those reasons may feel entitled to have their contributions removed; by the time they do underhand, they may already have gotten more upset over perceived offensives.
That's my theory of how these clusters unfold. It's not dependent upon blaming or vilifying anybody. But every time I see one of these angry 'How do I leave Scuba Board...' threads, I'm like 'Time to pop some popcorn.'
