Back in 09 I believe. I remember lots of members were getting banned especially arguments with mods over in the lounge forum. A certain mod was really hated by many. And the lounge was never the same again. Some didnt bother coming back after the ban cuz they felt the mods were abusing their power. Some just strictly use this site to buy and sell now and no longer participate in anything else.
Some folks just don't know when to sit on their hands. Dloks was a perfect example. Luved the dude, but he got exactly what he asked for.
A good moderator is one that steps up when crowd control is required. A forum with solid membership doesn't really need mods that are experts in anything, beyond crowd control. It's not as easy as it sounds on the surface, and when push comes to shove, admin/mods rule. Abusing power? I know, how about STFU?
Or go elsewhere? No one is forced to live by these rules. Some people can't seem to grasp that. Back in the day that mod wasn't power tripping (and he banned friends of mine as well), I suspect that he was simply sick & tired of some folks thinking they had a vote on what was happening on this site. It's not like he was receiving a paid salary for arguing with people, in his spare time. Doh!
IMO one of the most experienced & knowledgeable CA cichlid keepers to ever grace this forum was banned many years ago. I stayed in touch with him as well - but if I was being honest, he had it coming too. But hey, his wife & him later had a kid and he moved on with life, as many do. Just wanted to add, this member was ultimately banned due to something that he said to a mod in a PM, something that most members would have never seen, or known about. So, sometimes people get turfed for their
behind the scenes activities for actions that the rest of the membership may not even be aware of.
This is not to say that I am always in agreement with the admin/mods on this site, or their decisions. I'm not. I've had to sit on my hands plenty over the years, and I am certain some have been tempted to seriously moderate me. lol Whatever. I can take this site or leave it, so I am good to go no matter how things roll out from TPTB.