The indiscriminate bannings may have been the product of a mod tantrum, but it appears to be working to Taunton's advantage to turn the undeserving insiders against the aggrieved outsiders and vice-versa.
I've decided i have no interest in being neutered on the new, improved forum where discussing Obama and religion are verboten topics according to Jean Paul's email to Peachfest, but i very much would like to continue knowing all you folks and meeting new ones. If our little community falleth apart from all this finger-pointing, we'll all survive that and go our separate ways. However, less finger-pointing might go a long way toward preserving our community.
There is no individual whose words were so persuasive that they tore the board apart. The only person who could do that is employed by Taunton. The only people who can resist the temptation to commit mass suicide are those who realize they have more in common with each other than the person at the master control board at FHB.