Thanks, Darrel, we are trying. Gus and I spend time on the phone and via email trying to get the decisions right. I realize that we are often dealing with fine lines here.
Bottom line, speaking for myself, is that I wish nothing but the best for the makers who come here and contribute on the forums.
You've known me a few years now and know my relationship with makers, collectors and purveyors at the shows etc. I have great respect for most and consider many amongst my good friends. Hell, some of these guys are so good, I even forget they just like me for the money.
There is going to be a feeling out process going on here for a while until we can get things down to a certain standard. The forums have grown greatly and while that is a good thing in many ways, that growth also brings difficulty in managing its size and content.
Gus and I get email from makers and collectors complaining about the overt "pitches" from some who may post with commercial interest. However, some of these same people will often cleverly disguise a pitch of their own within the body of an otherwise innocent post.
Where to draw the line? It's difficult to say with any ironclad certainty. It's kind of like the judge who said he couldn't define pornography, but he knew it when he saw it. That is how I often feel when I read some of the content on this forum.
Gus and I want to strike a balance where the forum does the most good for the most people. We will make mistakes, but we are willing to listen and take other perspctives into consideration. Heck, I've closed a grand total of two threads! (And they were overt.)
In closing, speaking for myself, I want to reiterate that I am pro-maker, pro-collector and for anything on this forum which upholds the interest of the membership without stooping to outright commercialism.
Let's remember that the reason why Spark started charging for the right to sell items on the boards was to make BladeForums.com more self supporting and self sufficient. Those who seek to circumvent that are like guests disrespecting the home of their host.
Gus and I are only trying to work within that framework and satisfy as many folks as we can while doing so.
On the other hand, the bastids that I routinely hang out with in chat at night have urged me to show some cojones and take a tougher stand on "violators" and I guess from time to time that is what I/we will have to do instead of coming across as apologists all the time.
Sorry for the longwinded post, I hope it helped clarify how I see things.
And thanks again for the support, DDR.
