I think we're seeing here (in Mudcat) the microcosm of order vs. chaos, plus a bit of the principles I put under the collective name "Gaming the System". The minute a structure is collectively adopted, members begin to manipulate the structure in ways that enhance their goals, or simply 'because they can'. Thus people try to manipulate the indices or see how far they can go in inter-thread abuse. The same happens in society. Society for instance adopts certain words as unacceptable in public discourse, certain entertainers begin to use those very words because they are unacceptable.
The general principles are that a system has to be devised which can't be 'gamed' into non-existence, said system structure of necessity involving a lot of regulation.
Think of bacteria and viruses at war with multi-celled organisms, or the inevitable computer viruses.
So we end up with a social structure that incorporates regulation, or a more efficient model incorporating dictatorship.
Both sides equally insist they are standing on principle. But you can't have one without the other. You can't 'rage against the system' until you've got a system to rage against. And you can't justify regulation unless you've got abuses.