I think you have hit the nail on the head why cart/shoosmiths would want to close the discussion down. Because it is of assistance to you, they tried to remove you through the court. That failed now they have gone the other route of applying pressure on Dan. Taking into account assistance you have received plus the garnering of public support and the bad publicity they have received, it makes perfect sense to me. But then I am an advocate of reading "the art of war" by sun tzu. If Dave mayal has been so helpful to you, why not pm him with an invitation to join a thread on here. Explaining why you find responding with him so useful and that you feel open discussion is no longer possible on cwdf. I think he wouldn't be able to resist. Remember he wouldn't have to post here under his real name. Please carry on the good work Nigel there are a lot of boaters who owe you a debt of gratitude, if they realise it or not.
Neither would I have to post under any assumed name!
Given the developments on CWDF whilst I was sunning myself in the Med, I have a reduced confidence that it can survive, and whether it will survive in a form that I will continue to want to be a part of.
That leaves me in an "interesting" position.
The trouble is that any forum is always going to be something of a compromise that won't suit everybody, in terms of rules, and enforcement of the rules.
CWDF was, at one time, the nearest to what I think a forum SHOULD be (and I suppose that what I want reflects the fact that it is around 20 years since my first posts in uk.rec.waterways which the rose tinted glasses identify as a good time).
My ideal forum has;
* No, or minimal, authoritative moderation.
* An expectation that as adults, we are able to understand what the "rules" are, and self police.
* A community consensus as to unacceptable behaviour, backed up by community disapprobation of non-compliance.
* An ethos that it is OK to say "your idea is crap", but not "you are crap"
* A lack of fluffy bunnies insisting that we must be "nice" to people asking questions that they could find discussed last week using google.
CWDF isn't that, but I'm afraid this place isn't either. You've nailed kicking out the headmaster, well done! However, in its place is something totally anarchic, where there is a lack of self control and no community consensus built up to say that just because we CAN say certain things without the moderators telling us off, it doesn't mean we SHOULD.
So, there you have it.
I won't be quitting CWDF (although Dan may well kick me out for things I say here eventually) as I retain some hope that it can be saved if those who are destroying it hand back the keys to the black helicopter, but I may well start to contribute a little here.
In doing so, I won't be availing myself of the freedom to behave in unacceptable ways. I fully intend to self-police. Clearly, that could put me at a disadvantage in discussions with those who think nothing of heaping abuse and vitriol on their opponents, but I'm sure I will cope.
If all else fails, I could end up back on uk.rec.waterways (last posted there about 7 years ago!)
Dave