It's like the law. Does the law prevent law beakers? No. But the POSSIBILITY of paying a price for abherent behavior keeps those on the margins within the parameters of normal. And there are very few parameters of normal here.

That brings us back to the routine imposition of editing action. This one measure (over used) agaist the 'vandals' is only a punishment. For it has little effect as a deterrent to these 'vandals', for it is done with such a fuss as to bring the attention that is so craved by them and is the main reason for their postings.

The clumsy, lazy and offensive deltion of entire threads, (by our volunteers) containing positive contributions as well as the less positve - is just punishing everyone for the crimes of a few. In the process, precious freedoms are gradually being eroded and folk encouraged to judge the worth of each other's contributions and to think that there is some other solution - than self moderation and simply ignoring the spoilt children's attention seeking tantrums and ploys.

Perhaps had this common sense suggestion which has been made by many posters, over and over again - been encouraged by our volunteers - things would not be so bad that long- term posters, like Art and Jerry feel they have to stop posting?

Perhaps the encouragement and the example of how to post positively and not respond in kind to our 'vandals', can now be set by all our volunteers as the main solution to our problems here? And the routine and reactive imposition of editing action is not now and in the future encouraged as the only measure - but only ever used sparingly as the last possible resort and the limitations and counter-productivity of this action finally accepted?

Yes it would be OK if 'pains in the arse' like me did not complain every time our volunteers impose editing action - but it will reamin a fact that many do and (I hope) always will continue to strive to protect the very freedoms that are thought by some to be expendable.....