Have Staff Mods destroyed the forums?

Yes, you are clearly wrong.

You refer to a pinned thread that is nine years old, when the rules were changed two years ago.

Admit it, you've been found out, made a complete horlicks of it, exceeded your responsibilities.

It's there, in black and white, written by the site founder and owner.

Admit it.

I don't have to look.  It wasn't removed, therefore it applies.

Generally I think staff are ok, a bit of give and take is good. I've been disappointed in the past though when vile abusive language and threats have been made by one or two unsavoury individuals. They were allowed to get away with it though I know that monitoring the site 24/7 is impossible, these characters have chased business away with homophobic, racist and sexist comments.  One of them it is alleged, is a menace to females on this site, and he's still here.

  It would be good, as someone else suggested, if the site could find a way to prevent multiple characters by the trolls who not only abuse others but the hospitality of this site.

It's worth remembering those initial rules were written before there were any proper moderators, when it made more sense to completely stay away from subjects which could be controversial.  More recently we've been told some political threads are permitted.  So which is it?

Did you read this, in its entirety?

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/community/making-the-chesscom-forums-better

Of course no one took down the superseded nine year old thread, this is the site that has been unable to fix the spellchecker in four years. It's a huge, sprawling mess of contradictions because no one is paid to do any housekeeeping.

Which is what is in post 2 of the topic I linked earlier.

The question in all that is the following:

"Additionally, the following behaviors are not allowed in the main public forums and chat rooms:

• hijacking of threads with off-topic posts or images
• persistent stalking and harassing
• offensive or vulgar language
• religious or political debate"

and whether or not Off-Topic allows it or not. It is a main public forum but some of the other text  implies that maybe it might be allowed.

We are getting clarification and there is a hierarchy involved. It is being run up the chain so to speak

Plus, it is two years later, things might have changed.

We are getting clarification and there is a hierarchy involved. It is being run up the chain so to speak

Hallelujah!

The facts are:

• Erik stated a set of rules on Nov 18, 2007.
• On Mar 6, 2014, Erik explicitly overrode the earlier policies.  Note that about in the middle of that longish article, he said: "Our updated policies are" and followed them by detailed explanation that clearly contradicts the previously stated rules.

I fail to see any possible justification for applying the earlier rules. Looks like he simply forgot to delete/modify them.

I, and others, discussed it with Erik in great detail before it was even posted.

For so long as "some" are permitted, there will be some confusion and complaints when action is taken on a thread, or a thread is locked but another is not.

The clarity of forbidding all political and religious talk except for Open Discussion would solve just about all the troubles we've been discussing here.

Can pdela and I be admins of the Gents?

 @Doggy_Style in regards to your picture, that is another point where one thing doesn't necessarily match some of the other information. Plus, in v3 that isn't there.

What information? the superseded information?

I feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall.

It feels better that I've stopped paying. That's $84 (plus another $15 dollars in bank charges, for the privilege), I'll spend elsewhere from now on. Hopefully somewhere that doesn't delight in running their customers round-and-round in circles.

 
I posted the link to the rules, that were directly posted by erik from the longer topic where he discussed the issue.

In that synopsis post, he clearly called out religious and political discussion as not being allowed in the main forums. It is not 100% clear if Off-Topic allows the forbidden topics (some for sure are not allowed) and is or is not considered a main public forum. It is obvious from the posting rules that Off-Topic is not completely unmoderated or uncensored, in direct contradiction of the forum description in v2.

However, all that was two years ago. We are seeking further clarification and have been discussing it before this topic ever came up here. While the situation may be 100% clear to you, it isn't to everyone, not even some staff members.

Round and round we go <-- posted before seeing Doggy_Style's reply

Guys, check with Erik. Doggy Style is right, Off Topic was going to be unmoderated. 

erik is being consulted and things will get clarified.

I just invited Erik and you to the new TROLLU group. You are welcome there.