Ya know, DPP, I couldn't care less what you've heard, and I feel no real compunction to justify anything about myself and my site to you or to anyone else. The bulk of the Saloon is freely visible to the public, and they can look and decide for themselves. If people like what they see there, that's wonderful. Join if you'd like. If they don't like it, that's cool, too. Happy trails, Vaya con Carne. And that's pretty much the size of it. For myself, I know first-hand what I've done and what I haven't done, and I can't think of much I'd do differently. If you feel the need to try and tear me down, so be it. It's your problem, not mine.

I do require people on my site to be reasonably civil, to treat other members with respect, and to refrain from launching into unwarranted personal attacks on other members. If this is making people "toe the line", then yeah, I guess I'm guilty as charged. But it's a pretty good line, I think, and I'm actually rather proud of it. Even the site we're on now, I'm delighted to say, also has some lines they don't want people crossing. Personally, I'd rather have that than the multi-vehicle car wreck the forums on Dave's have degenerated into.

Furthermore, I get disagreed with on my site all the time...busted right in the chops when I need it. And I see this as a good and healthy thing. These people are not Trolls...Trolls are silly little boys who must feed their stunted, battered egos by bashing down everything and everyone else they see, under the inexplicable and totally incorrect assumption that it makes themselves look better and smarter. Disagreement, even with me, is fine on the Saloon. Pointless stupidity is something we like to leave in the good hands of places like Dave's ESL Cafe.

Speaking of which: The Greasy Spoon actually asks for a lot more from its registrants than we do. It's totally beholden to its advertisers, so rocking certain boats there will quickly get you booted. Their heavy-handed moderators delete more posts, and ban more members, in one week than we have in five years. If you prefer this "freedom", then hey, more power to you. Believe me when I tell you: we're really, really glad you're there. ;-{)