Removed threads.

I think that is a bit over-simplistic, Martin. (Perhaps you should have started at the beginning, rather than the end, to understand the underyling rationale.) Most of us want to talk about music; that is why we are here. But many of us - a significant majority of regular posters, I believe - thought that at least one of these threads was necessary in order to deal with a very real, and very destructive, problem. Countless members have left this site in sheer frustration as a result; it was one of the reasons why only a handful of people ever take part in the discussions. Look back through old threads and you will see member after member after member migrating to other sites and generally giving the same reason.  

I understand that the whole business of "trolls" is a tricky area, but unless you can find a more active and more sensitive way to moderate this forum, the same old problem will keep coming back and back. If you were at all familiar with this forum, in fact, you would see that the same debate crops up every few months or so. 

Jane, you really need to give up your self appointed role as Policeman of this forum. Martin is more than capable of  moderating the situation. You also need to stop refering to people you don't agree with as trolls, it is a heavy handed and over simplistic approach.

What better moderation amounts to in practice Jane, is that YOUR thread was removed. You complain about the lack of moderation and then when your thread is removed you complain about 'insensative' moderation. It seems you like rules but not when they apply to you.

I don't think for one minute that anyone really believes that Parla and I are the same person. We have disagreed many times on these boards but have always ended our argument peacefully and never once stamped our feet and said 'if that person isn't removed I am leaving'. It seems far too many people want a forum that only accounts for their viewpoint, not a public forum at all.

Glad I am not the only one to have spotted that. What can be more pathetic than a troll arguing with itself?

I think Martin was right to remove
threads dedicated to knocking other contributors. However, it does
seem to me that the problems we are getting are not nearly as bad as
those on many other forums, where abuse seems to be the game of the
day after only a few postings. The majority of comments in this forum
are made with the music in mind and since we all have our own, often
strong, opinions, someone is bound to get upset.

We are all intelligent, knowledgeable
people and we recognise whether a contribution is genuine or not, so
why not just ignore those and reply to those comments that are of
interest. Folks whose comments are routinely ignored will either go
away or adapt. Either way, the forum benefits.

I really think that the most important
mission of these forums, and our top priority, should be to expand
the interest in classical music, because without it, Gramophone
magazine will eventually cease to exist and a lot more else besides.
Nothing is more encouraging than a constructive, courteous and
informative exchange of views, which most folks here are
contributing. Nothing is more discouraging than public quarreling,
whatever the cause.

The last thing we want is for this
forum to disappear. Life is too short - why not utilise our senses of
humour for a change?

More like a player sending himself off because someone who tackled him was not.