After a lot of thought about all this, I guess I should run my latest thinkings by you all so you know what direction I am intending to go at this point.
In my opinion, my decision to make this site be more credible and professional just has not worked. Apparently that choice was contrary to the original hopes and design of the Board of Inquiry in that people could NOT be effective at outing the bad guys if my rules hamstrung them like they had been doing. So, in effect, one has to choose between being professional, cool, calm, and collected, against just getting down and dirty and not pull your punches to knock the bad guy right out of the ring. Unfortunately, it appears that I can't have both, and if one decision is obviously hindering the UTILITY of the Board of Inquiry, then another path must be used or the BOI is rendered useless and superfluous.
Of course, everything is a compromise and nothing will ever be perfect, so there will most certainly be disagreement on this. But another part of this equation is that I have NEVER had so much grief and downright nastiness thrown my way then when I made the effort to "clean up" this site. Not from the bad guys, mind you, but from people who in every sense of the word people would say are among the good guys. And quite honestly, it all just wore me out. I just have to admit that my ideal goal for this site is either just not attainable, or is flawed and not really in everyone's best interests because of the restrictions it places on how people NEED and WANT to act here. And quite frankly, if what I want requires that much work and effort, then I just don't WANT it that badly.
So I have just made decisions that I hope will be best for my own sanity and in parallel put the Board of Inquiry back on track to being more effective. Many of the rules have just been eliminated completely. Others have been greatly reduced in severity. But there ARE still rules. Mostly in scope pretty much how the BOI used to be close to the beginning of it's inception. Not really the "wild west", but more in keeping of a bar room on the wrong side of the tracks that the cops keep a wary eye on from a safe distance.
One problem that is sure to surface is many of the mannerisms that people employ in the Board of Inquiry will spill over into the discussion forums. Originally during my crackdown on the rules, this was one of the prime motivators for my deciding to go that route. But quite honestly, it just doesn't appear that the discussion forums are ever going to be the main reason for people coming to this site, so although I am not cutting them loose, I am just going to drop my concern over them. They will either sink or swim on their own. I can't see jeopardizing the effectiveness of the BOI in order to try to make the discussion forums more attractive to people. More then likely my inclination will be to have moderators for each of the discussion forums, and they can pretty much handle those forums how they feel is most prudent and effective within broad general guidelines. Those moderators will have the authority to do what they feel is best, with the understanding that they are also responsible for their decisions. All moderators will be subject to being removed from their position if they make too many wrong decisions or otherwise prove to be a detriment to the participation of members within their forum. My position in this respect will be more as a manager in this circumstance, but not a "micro" manager.
With the above in mind, I will most likely be changing the way in which I choose any new moderators to fill any vacancies that now exist and those that will arise in the future. I will look for people with a demonstated desire for the success of this site as well as a notable presence and interest in the topic matter to which they want to be a moderator in that area. In other words, you will have to SHOW me you want the best for this site, beforehand. But I will go into that more when I feel it needs to be more directly addressed.
Anyway, the earlier comments about my rolling back the rules brings about a dilemma that I do need to address. During the crackdown, heads did roll around here because of it. Although I do feel it was justified at the time, because of my desired goals, I do have to consider what to do now about it, since my facing the fact that it just does not appear to be the path I should have taken. So in effect, what do I do about those people who got suspended and offended enough not to come back? If I feel that the crackdown did harm, wasn't part of the harm that people who SHOULD be here, were in effect thrown out? This is a question I need to face and come up with some sort of solution to. Of course, some will NOT want to come back, which is fair and fitting enough, and I accept that as their due. So I guess the best thing to do at this point is for me to consider each and every one on a case by case basis, and decide first off WHY they were suspended or banned, and then based on their request to be reinstated, determine if they SHOULD be allowed back on here. I will be up front about my major consideration with this, however. I just do NOT want anyone here who I feel has only harm to this site (and by inference, myself) at heart. My tolerance level for such people is at an alltime low, and I will be very quick to remove anyone from this site who gives me sound reason to believe that is their primary goal for participation here. I do accept criticism and contrary opinions, but this site just does not need to have people here who sincerely wish to destroy it with their presence and activities.
So anyway, this pretty much brings you uptodate on my thought processes about the direction change for this site. This is not a solicitation for opinions, as it has been my experience that many people just cannot accept nor handle the necessity that all opinions cannot be acted on, and theirs were among the ones NOT utilized. So in the future, my asking the membership at large for direction will be severely limited rather then go through that sort of headache again. I am sorry, but unless you are right here in my position or have done this same exact thing yourself with a proven success at doing so, you really don't know any more about this then I do. So your guesses are right on par with my own. However, when a conflict arises between what I think and YOU think, then it should be obvious which opinion I must at least try first.
Well, that's the latest thought processes, so far......
