Quote Originally Posted by bear@bearkilts.com
Here's my opinion:
This site is a commercial site. It was created to make money.
You can't go into a clothing store and swear, tell people off, or argue, without getting tossed out of the store.
Why should it be different here?
That's business, folks.
Then why have a review section when you risk upsetting paying advertisers if someone gives a bad review of their product or service? If Hank is selling items (tee shirts, pins, hats, etc... through his site, then I assume he would want to encourage a forum where people feel they can talk openly about what is out there, good and bad, maybe seek input from others, get advice and hear other perspectives.

If it is about selling ad space and getting top dollar for promoting or protecting certain makers over others.. then that takes away from the objectivity and open communication for the sake of the business. It is a forum.. are we expected to be mindless sheep? Should contributors be afraid to post their honest replies or give input out of fear of retaliation/banning?

I had thought Hank had struck a happy medium here.. a balance between the chaos and flaming in the UK Yahoo Group and a dictatorial place where you can only post if you agree with the company line.

For the record, posts and threads are being deleted that did not contain swearing, threats or even arguments. The policy that no one can comment on reviews or give their feedback/experience (good or bad) to accompany a good or bad review is just plain wrong. Saying "the policy will change and we don't want to hear anything about it from any of you" is just plain bad news.

By and large, people are not here to see the ads or cheerlead for a specific maker. They are here because they like to communicate with other kilt wearers, makers and sellers and/or get feedback and information in an open forum. I would not call it a country club.. but, it if it is a 100% business site, why have forums at all? Why not just scrap them alltogether? The fact is, the forums are a place to congregate and communicate.. they draw people in who ultimately see the ads and maybe click-thru to the advertisers or possibly purchase some of the items Hank sells. I come back for the people and the stories and the opinions, not the ads.

That said, could someone please pass me the suntan lotion?