And if that is the case, why not just send a PM to Max and trust his judgement if what you asid is what you truly feel?

Why would you assume that I have not done this also? Why would you assume that I would refer to such an exchange or make any such private exchange - public?

But why should any contributor to our forum have any need for a private conversation - about our public forum - with Max? Has he not already provided all the requirements for such a debate publicly on our forum. If I wished to know the contents of his bank account - I may send a PM and ask him. He may reply - but his reply (understandably) may not be printable.

But why do you appear to think that Max is not perfectly able to read comments on the forum that he has provided on his own website?

The problem we have is one of assumptions. In the lack of a recent definitive public statement. Especially one that is radically different to those expressing the intentions for our forum that Max has provided publicly in the past - I think that it is perhaps safe for us all to accept that Max's vision for our forum remains as he has stated. To faciliate our forum's wishes - and not to sit in judgement upon them?

Other posters would appear to make quite different assumptions for a radical change in this approach - but with very little or no evidence to support any such assumption. Max may now be tempted (or even asked) to provide our forum with a statement expressing every confidence and full support for his appointees and structure. Rather like the one issued by Chairmen of soccer clubs about the club's manager - just before they are about to remove them. I hope not.

In the absence of anything like this - perhaps we should leave all these assumptions and also leave Max to quietly deal with the aspects that he only can address. The rest - as it has always been - is really up to the posters to control their own postings and continue to bring any concerns about our forum publicly to our forum - for Max and the rest of our forum to debate and consider.

For assumption - they do say - is the mother of all cock-ups.