A lot of the confusion comes from the fact that the regulars here know all of the old spats. keeps track of all of the poop. New lookers and old pharts that don't wish to wade waist deep in a bunch of drivel, don't read all of the posts her.
I usually click on the posts from new guys wanting repair advice, and give it freely, usually with good results.
But I have been a member here since 2001 or so, and have enjoyed my time here. I feel folks like me, and Gypo Logger/John Lambert, and a few dozen others made this site/forum into something good, and pretty damn big. We brought a tidal wave of members here, and invaded this quiet little hamlet
of arborists, and things may have gotten unruly from time to time.
But nevertheless, this site needs to step back and take a close look at how it looks from new members and perusers. The thread we all are referring to
makes absolutely no sense to the new folks, and little sense to me, a member that has been here since the beginning.
The moderators have a tough job, we all know it. But us members, new and old, need to know where the chalk marks are in the playing field as well.
We just all need to step back and take a breath.