Well, since the thread has been thrown wide open, and I thank Rich for his participation here, there is one thing that has stuck in my crawl since the opening of the wilder west and relaxing of certain rules. Specifically, paid membership. At least when we had to pay, we risked more when the lines were crossed. I do not want to confuse a relaxing of the rules with the junking of a minimal fee to participate. Two different issues. I can understand the relaxing of the rules, but whatever reasons justify the "free-for-all" participation are different. You (Rich) have justified the fee differential, or a failure to refund to previously paid members in the past, by saying that those who paid received higher levels of service. True if we paid more than $10. But whether we paid $10 or $100 to be a member before, you then extended the $10 benefits to all for free. In my logic of things, you then owed everyone some sort of pro-rated $10 refund who had been a paid member, for at least that part of what they purchased could now be had for free. Do I want $5 or such back ? No. But I don't think you should keep it either. A token donation to a wide-based charity would be a nice gesture.
As for those complaining for people being allowed to be themselves here, show their asses, etc. I guess we all wish for a world in which when people disagree, they do so within civil parameters. Well, I wish too. But it won't happen in my lifetime, in my kids' lifetimes, or in my grandkids' lifetime. A few of the "complainers" here have been known to take a cheap shot and show those asses in dealing with their angst. While I would be the first to suggest that you are highly unlikely to change others wiht the complaining, I would suggest possible results if you turn your literary keyboard efforts upon yourselves. Paid membership had its privileges for the subscriber. It also became a hedge (not guarantee) against overt stupidity, those benefits extending to all.
I was getting worried for a while, you seemd pretty stressed out. But I can tell you who I won't be buying reptiles from much eaiser now that everyone can make them selves looks stupid as they feel the urge to...
