Further reason love this forum

[KevinM1]

I had to ask because I wanted to be sure that's what you were actually saying.  Because it's the dumbest fucking idea.  You are aware of the cesspool that is the internet, right?

The idea is only dumb if you strawman it. Go ahead and pretend being obtuse if that's what gets you off.

It's a stupid idea because it would never work well. Best case scenario is this hypothetical forum becoming 4chan Jr. Because leaving people to their own devices leads to:

Spam. Filters can't block all of it.
People plugging illegal products (drugs, warez, child porn, etc.).
People attempting to solicit minors (why do you think this place has a minor protection policy?).
General heinous shit which may or may not also fit the above -
Doxxing
Threats of all kinds (rape, torture, death)
Harassment
Bigotry related bullshit that includes everything above.

I've been a member of many forums during my 20 or so years online. I've also been a moderator with full ban powers. Staff exist for a reason, and that reason is that while the vast majority of members on any forum have good intentions, it doesn't take much to ruin the experience for them. Members cannot simply be left to their own devices because not only can it lead to really bad things like what I listed above, but also more mundane problems like flamewars, like incessant thread derailment, like excessive post editing or quote editing. Well meaning people won't stay if threads can't remain on topic, or if their words literally get twisted when quoted, to say nothing of the more serious problems.

Moreover, assholes thrive and breed when there's no meaningful consequences to their actions. They bring in their friends who go on to do the same. After a while, the place gets a reputation, and it either stays a haven for assholes or dies a quick death because the site owner never intended to host a shit hole.

Now, moderation isn't perfect. Sometimes forum rules are dumb. Sometimes they're vague. Sometimes they're too restrictive. Sometimes staff is dumb, inconsistent, too strict or too lenient. The solution isn't some pie-in-the-sky libertarian idea of abolishing moderation altogether and letting the masses fend for themselves (or, even worse, giving everyone moderator powers, even if they're limited). That ignores human psychology and a plethora of forums that have failed because no one wanted to be the bad guy.

The solution is to do better. Promote long term members in good standing to staff. Ask for member feedback when it comes to (re)defining certain rules. Have a well articulatted punishment system. Have oversight behind the scenes. Etc.

If that sounds like this place, it's because that's the the general model the very best forums on the web use. Stack Overflow, PHPFreaks, I believe Ars Technica, Penny Arcade, HFBoards, SonsOfSamHorn, etc., etc. The best places have representative moderation. The worst? Little to no moderation at all.

Finally, I'll echo what everyone else has told you: stow the fucking attitude. You're not the smartest guy in the room. Not by a longshot. You are quickly becoming nothing more than a nuisance because you're more interested in displaying your 'brilliance' and getting kudos for it than actually talking WITH people. You come off as painfully immature and, frankly, not worth the effort to deal with. I hope, for your sake, that you grow up and realize that not every interaction you have is a threat to your perceived intelligence and/or self-worth. Sometimes people just shoot the shit. Sometimes they ask questions simply for clarification. Not every statement needs to be picked apart, analyzed, and challenged. Freaking out and dialing the condescension up to 11 really only broadcasts your own insecurities to everyone else. And no, I'm not saying it to parrot LP, or to get in a dig. It's blindingly obvious. One of my brothers does the same thing. It's why I can only stand seeing him 2-4 times a year.