Here's one perspective, FWIW.

The owner of this website is in business to make money, not provide a free speech forum. The only reason that this O.D. forum exists is to let off the pressure from the actual, serious threads dealing with the whole reason for having this website. If the owners could offer this website without digressions from the subject of M-B I have absolutely no doubt they would do so. This OD has got to be a net of zero for the owners except as a relief valve from the important threads.

I have no doubt that most of us came to OD in a sort of back-door way. We were looking for parts and car advice and liked the service and generous support from almost universally good-natured, often extremely competent mechanics. We accidentally drifted into OD and were hooked.

So in the greater scheme of all things mercedesshop.com, we are a pretty unwholesome after-thought as far as return-on-investment goes. Mostly we're a bunch of whiney PITA's who get our little feelings hurt and complain. Not much sales traffic in that.

Essentially what I am trying to say is that this is a for-profit venture. It is their mission in life to make money, not to provide a free-speech forum. It is there football, their yard, and their rules of play. If I don't like the rules or if they give me the old heave-ho for my pretentious pontifications or low humor, well, it's their dime.

Bot

PS Hatt is new at being a mod. I don't think his salary is as much as a Bengalese beggar. He's going to make some judgment calls with which we disagree. So what? Get over it and stay or move on. There are plenty of free-speech sites and other car fora that are really open to less civility.