Doc John - you have found yourself in the middle of a conversation among several old friends (everyone who has posted in this thread) who have known and trusted each other for years.

Many of us who use the PD board are long timers; familiar with all of the old posters and their ways and woes. Harley posted her link in this spirit.

Harley (and all of the rest of us) - I think sometimes we forget that this is a public forum, read by hundreds or thousands of "strangers" on a daily basis. We feel it is our home - but, in fact, it is a home on view to everyone. (Hey - this really IS a reality show!)

I think it is cool that Doc John is willing to engage us in this conversation. I don't detect any sign of repression - just an honest attempt to understand what's going on here (the same, I think, with Kimmy Dawn's thread on creating a comfortable home).

Maybe the fear of "over moderation" is because we've been burned in the past with moderation gone wild in the absence of any kind of administration. I think we need to give Doc John a break and take him at his word that he is trying to build community and is open to suggestions. He doesn't have a clue as to who we are, yet he has provided a home base; we owe him consideration and explanation. We also should play by his rules - he sounds willing to make exceptions when satisfied of the reason to do so.

Not to start a fire storm, but you guys (she said affectionately to her old PD friends) are coming across hostile (or at least ruffled). Our history of troubled administration on other boards is an explanation, but not an excuse to snub an opportunity to make improvements here in an environment of cooperation and trust.