"The Mudcat Cafe reserves the right to edit, move, combine, rename, or delete all threads and messages posted in the Forum. We will try our best to edit sparingly, but there are times when we may have to take some action to keep the peace, or to protect the interests of our community. Editorial decisions are made by Max, Jeff/Pene Azul, and Joe Offer, or under their direction."

Whose words do those sound like? Could it be the same fellow poster who was responsible for much of the rest of a FAQ? A FAQ which was provided when in our forum's history exactly?

How long after many of us had already been posting to Max's forum on the basis of his public statements?

The concept of a right to impose all of those things being kept in reserve is one that few of us would argue with.

However we may have some justification to argue when such powers are used as a matter of routine and selectively against certain targets but not against others.

When those trusted to keep the peace indulge themselves in abusive personal attacks and encourage others to follow this example.

And when most of this imposed censorship is undertaken to shape our forum to the tastes of a few and all under the excuse of protecting us from abusive personal attacks.

Methods which now the Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team has publicly admitted have failed to impose the required peace and who now proposes to turn our BS forum into a private members club and to screen all Guest posts to the music section - but does not wish the posters there to be informed.