I'm back, because I have some confidence that Internet Brands is dealing with the issue.
The current Admin's position is that users have no value and bring nothing to this site. They can be banned, harassed and insulted without repercussion because they are visitors in the house Internet Brands owns. There is some truth to this in the law of large numbers.
However, I believe that users brought the value to this site and continue to do so every time they sign on. Customers are revenue.
Further, nearly all web board providers take the position that users are responsible for their posts. If sued, IB's defense would be that they simply hosted someone else's content. Logically that argument is that users own their posts and are responsible for them.
Not that I advocate a free for all. The founders of this site built it as a professional resource. Mods have allowed us to have a little fun that perhaps bordered on "porn under the yoke clip" behavior that needed to be brought under control from the CPO. Nothing wrong with professionalism.
Where it went over the line was newer Mods being excessively heavy handed and some Mods simply reacting on their basis of what they liked and did not like. The rules were not applied consistently and the result surprised people when Mods came down hard.
Where I think the site went over the line, is when Admin decided to begin threatening users who were critical of the moderation. When I called IB, they were mildly surprised that I was complaining about Admin when in fact I had not posted any of the offensive material. All I had done is rather impolitically pointed out what had become wrong with the site and what needed fixing.
APC needs users. All of you. At the higher levels of the company (which are driven by revenue) they know this. Without saying so, they know that we have choices.
The Current Map
The Admin thinks we are worthless ...
That percolates down to the Mods ...
Users are treated like garbage ... users leave, or start competing sites which harms APC
The Fix
Admin changed, or reminded that Users made this site and bring it content
Admin emphasizes a humble, customer service oriented attitude, to the mods
Happy Users support site by clicking on ads and buying things
Internet Brands knows what needs to be fixed. A "lot of people" have been calling them. I am perfectly willing to give them the chance. At the end of the day my loyalty is to the users of this web site first. I'm just your humble servant in this ... if they want to hang me (with no infractions) so be it.
One group of Mods wants to lock this thread. One group of Mods is arguing for moderation. My bet is on the power of 9.3 million page views on one thread alone.