My short, simple answer was totally serious. ~~~yes~~~ means that I, as well as most others, seem to think the editing IS minimal and not troubling.

Bill the answer you gave to the first question you first quoted was plainly absurd. The answer you have just given (above) to your own different question - may be worthy of being taken slightly more seriously by our forum but it was not the answer to the question actually being asked – was it? As quoted by you and then answered by you in the following post……

Subject: RE: HI Max: What about Shambles requests?
From: Bill D - PM
Date: 20 Aug 05 - 11:34 AM

"Can the ability of these volunteer fellow posters to impose their personal judgement upon the words of their fellow posters – without their knowledge or permission – for purposes only of clarity and 'indexing' – really be described as minimal?"

~~~~yes~~~~
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Bill If you do seriously expect our forum to accept that you do consider this ABILITY (to impose at will) is the minimum – perhaps you could tell us what you (or we) could possibly consider to be the maximum ABILITY? Perhaps the ABILITY to delete the whole post - before it even gets posted – or the ABILITY to go out and shoot the posters before they can even write it?

The ABILITY for anonymous volunteer posters impose their judgement upon offensive and abusive personal attacks is one thing – the ABILITY to do this when these elements are not a factor cannot be described seriously by anyone – except perhaps Stalin (or Bill D) – as a minimal ability.

That you may consider the current EXERCISE of this ABILITY on our forum is minimal – is one thing but it is not the same thing as saying you consider the ABILTY itself to be minimal. That is what Amos stated. The Clone Department has certain editorial abilities. They are minimal

Should being given the ABILITY to impose your personal judgement upon your fellow posters on our forum - be always recognised as the being given the maximum power possible? That this ABILITY now appears to be thought minimal and taken and exercised so lightly – is a serious concern for any poster who understood that the freedom to have one's words appear as posted on our forum (as long as these words were not offensive etc) was a given right.   

But it only needs one anonymous volunteer fellow to use this ABILITY when it is clearly seen to be personally motivated and selective – to discredit all the good work of our volunteers and the whole credibility of our forum.

A factor made even worse by the automatic justification and defence of this action – mainly by those who feel they will always be safe from such imposition. And just as importantly – the publicly encouraged reaction against any poster who is unfortunate to be subject to it and is foolish enough to request a different approach to be adopted.

Can we all just agree to return to being – 'fellow posters' again – drink the good wine together again and not just be given the dregs and pretend to ourselves that it really tastes just as good as the vintage use to?