Just a suggestion after seeing the events of the last few days. Dave, I think that this site could benefit from a formal statement of the rules of conduct - what is acceptable and what is not. That will help the moderators to act consistantly, and if there are doubts as to appropriate behavior, they can point to the "rules of engagement" to back up their decisions.
I recognize that this site is yours, and as such it is not a democracy - it is a benign dictatorship, so to speak. You decide what is appropriate and what is not, and those that don't agree are free to disagree elsewhere. But it would help to outline how you would like this site to operate. If people understand up front what is acceptable and what is not, then they can decide whether to participate or not based on that.
I participate in other Automotive forums, for example, that practise a strict "no naming and shaming" policy. It is partially to protect them from defamation or libellous lawsuits, and partly to keep the atmosphere pleasant. I'm sure that every Pantera vendor in existance has at least one dissatisfied customer, and for each one of those there are a dozen who think that they walk on water. I have had better and worse experiences with certain vendors, and I know who I will and will not use in the future. If anyone wants to talk to me off-line, I'd be happy to share my opinions. But it can be both legally dangerous and ugly to use this board to condemn vendors and their actions.
Having a set of formal rules of conduct can protect you and the moderators from appearing to arbitrarily decide what is fair play and what is not, and can help protect you in case you need to make difficult decisions.
Just trying to be helpful... Now can we get back to talking about cars?
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