Sorry, Ryu, I don't agree at all. Further, I think the issue is important.
First, I have no doubt that Andy and Jerry had and have no fear that the Busse knives would look bad in comparison. I'm sure the Busses would do well in any comparison and that Jerry and Andy aren't afraid of any fair comparison or test. That's a gimme. But that's not the point. It's probably because they know their knives would do well or be praised that the problem arose in the first place.
The original question was whether Brand A or Brand B has some superior characteristic quality [or hypothetically would have]. That is a perfectly legitimate question and topic for discussion. It doesn't matter that Brand A and Brand B are associated or related companies. That's a commercial consideration not related to the substance or the merits of the question. If a forumite wants to know or consider the qualities or characteristics of a design or product, the commercial arrangements or questions of comity between the makers are not germaine to the issue, even if it is distasteful to the personal or commercial interests of the moderator or interests related to him. With respect, a moderator cannot and should not close a thread because an inquiry invites a comparison between knives made by two sister companies. Would a consumer's group refuse to compare two cars because they're both made by the same company or by related companies? Of course not. That's an important matter of principle that reflects on the integrity of the Forum.
And by saying that, I'm not questioning the integrity of Andy or Jerry. Anyone who's read my posts knows I think their integrity is beyond reproach. But, with respect, they're wrong here.
Jerry's point, if I understood it correctly, that he would like to head off bad feelings before they start, is perfectly consistent with good faith on his part, which I would presume anyway. A real gentleman, he wouldn't dream of making someone he deals with look bad and he doesn't want to be seen to be using the Forum for self promotion at the expense of a colleague. That's probably Andy's motivation too. Those motives are admirable, but they are misplaced and mistaken in this context. Neither Jerry nor Andy as moderators are responsible for the opinions expressed on the thread or even for the nature of the inquiries or speculations made. So if someone says something unkind about another maker, even in comparison to a Busse knife, that statement doesn't have the implicit endorsement of Mr Busse or Mr Prisco just because they were moderators or didn't close the thread. Moreover, it isn't their function to censor opinions on that basis. Anyone who would criticize Andy or Jerry for not closing the thread would be out of line and unreasonable for doing so.
If I am wrong and the rules of this forum now permit a moderator to close a thread because it might contain an opinion which might be prejudicial or embarrassing to the moderator commercially, although otherwise legitimate, I'd like to know.
Sure, there are limits to everything. Noone would expect a moderator to sit by and permit defamation, or abusive posts, or for an old, sore wound to be reopened. This inquiry, however, was not in that category and would be an entirely different kind of precedent. A very bad one. I return again to the example of a consumer's group refusing to compare two cars made by related companies. A fair comparison should be permitted, and if one of the companies doesn't like it, grow up and welcome to the free marketplace of ideas and products and opinions.
One last point. Once a post is out there, it's fair game for everyone, even if the original author thinks the better of it.
Having said that, the original post was pretty pointless and I wouldn't give it a second's thought.
