Yeah i say leave it open. If it does continue to get out of hand then it will need closing but for now, let people voice their opinions. I have to say though, i like the way the mods here go about their business. I like the fact that whereas some forums will strictly stick to the rules and leave no room for exceptions or circumstances where common sense can prevail on the part of the moderator's, we seem to embrace common sense and take each case as we see it in an attempt to deal with any issues that need dealing with while still trying to preserve activity on the forums and not drive people away by overmodding them.
A few members have seemed to suggest that we should treat every member in exactly the same way, whether they are here to be a part of the community or are here to provoke argument, troll and generally make the forum a much less enjoyable place. I'm not claiming that this will start to happen, that we will start to moderate the site this way as it isn't my place to speak for every member of the mod team but the fact is that if this happens and we begin to adopt the policy that these are the rules and if you stray even slightly outside of them then you are infracted every single time, with no consideration of the circumstances surrounding it and the effect it will have on the community as a whole and then ultimately find yourself banned somewhere down the line for repeat offences, then every member would have to brace themselves for infractions and bans being thrown around here more often than they ever have been before.
I know that for one, i wouldn't want to see this happen.
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