Dear Don

[hazelnut]

This is an open letter of apology to you. I have seen the other side and believe me it isn't pretty.

All along during the Speed Limit debates (for a few years) I was an active participant in some of the most controversial threads. Actually if you look at my post count I would say that 75% of those posts were in SL related topics. Many times my temper got the best of me and I would be dragged into some relatively nasty debates with some people. All the while you would be moderating each and every discussion, reading each post and deciding if you should censor the post or moderate the poster. I am happy to say I was never censored, all of my posts got through, until one day I altered my signature, after you banned SL discussion, to reflect an anti-SL position. At that point I know I was on your radar and you decided to moderate me. Well that moderation lasted right up until you added the "Issues" section where I successfully lobbied to be pulled from moderation. I also apologized for my signature tactic and have agreed not to put any pointed agenda item in my signature.

From my point I was cursing you under my breath here and there for your, what I deemed, heavy handed nature with which you moderated. I would openly discuss with other members, offline, the method you used to moderate. I had questions in my head as to why you wouldn't allow certain discussions to take place on the cusp of such ground breaking legislation that affected the lake. I likened it to having your (the sites) head in the sand while this major issue was taking place in the real world (of the lake).

While no moderation is perfect and I am sure you have moments in the past where you question whether or not you moderated too much, or too little. The point is there is no right answer. Moderate too much and you lose traffic and membership. Moderate too little and... well ditto, as people are driven off by the nastiness.

Anyway, I am publicly apologizing for any comments muttered under my breath about the way you run this site. For I have seen the other side and the other side is just an awful place. I will not name the site publicly but I am sure some people are aware of its existence. I had not heard of this local little forum until someone called me and said that my name was being dragged through the mud. I was reluctant to go over and read what was being said about me but curiosity got the best of me. The reason I chose to read is because I, unlike many, use part of my real name in my username and I have also shared MANY details about my life in my discussions on this site. So when my username is getting dragged through the mud in a discussion it's as close to my real name being used as possible.

I went over to try to set the record straight and defend some comments made and to explain my position on the Barbers Pole issue. Instead, the usual suspects that you have long since banned from this site and a couple of others that you have on heavy moderation, came out with venom and nastiness and tried to drag me into their little world that they have over there. One comment that was made to me, in my defense, was from a member that said, "this site is like the island of misfit toys." In so many ways that site is. It's the place where all of the castoffs and malcontents have gathered to be angry and nasty to any former anti-SL supporter that supports any cause. I say that meaning even if I supported tougher DUI boating laws they'd find a way to crucify me for it on the basis of my past support of the anti-SL issue. I am forever labeled a "Cowboy" and "Scofflaw" to them even though I own a bowrider that goes 47MPH with my family of five in it.

Anyway I digress. I want to thank you for running the site the way you do. I guess we take things for granted when we aren't aware of all of the hard work going on behind the scenes. You danced a fine line through all of the debate and nastiness. In the end I think you did what was best for the site in order to keep it a highly respected place to share opinions and ideas regarding the lake. I know that this is an ongoing battle and I know it will never end. Between spammers, fake registrations, obscene postings, foul language, off topic posting, angry restaurant reviews, etc. etc. etc. You have your hands full.

Again thanks and I apologize for any extra work I ever caused you!

-Hazelnut