Not a damn thing any of us can do except for complain.

Those 'moderators' who publicly complain about our forum thus: And despite our best efforts, Mudcat is no longer a pleasant place to hang out and goof off or have a good discussion.

And those who agree with this this and those who see the merits of a members only forum as the only solution - can leave and form one that is to their requirements. That will leave those poster who do not think this and who do not complain to concentrate in discussions on how to make Max's posting work - rather than finding fault with it.

And those who set the example of publicly posting only to complain about the worth of their fellow posters, to judge the threads and to intentionally find ways to prevent and restrict open discussion - can follow them - or stop.