The problem is, because there are so many unresolved issues and questions regarding this whole "incident", it's going to take a long time to fade away.
Regarding the Sombre banning, all we've got is a classic, 'he said, she said' situation. You can go to the new 'exile annex' forum, and hear Sombre's side of the story, but I would find it hard to think that he'd be saying anything that didn't fully support his position. And as far as Shrapnel's side, who knows what to believe? We've just been given some rumor and innuendo of a past pattern of bad behavior.
But since Shrapnel is unable or unwilling to share documentation, who's to know the 'truth'? Unless and until Shrapnel shares those records, there are always going to be some people who doubt their sincerity. If they can't share that information, they better get used to some people being left with a bad taste in their mouth over the issue that started this whole imbroglio.
And that's another thing, it's well beyond just Sombre now. Three more people got banned, and several others have expressed their intention to pack their bags and leave for good. Was it really necessary to let it come to that?
We could all see from the Long Knives thread that those three were extremely upset. But the situation was allowed to escalate, they were given "extra rope" (a phrase I've heard a few times recently), and sure enough, it was just enough to get themselves hung.
Where are these temporary bans I've heard of? If the KotLK Three had been forced to take a time out and cool down (for 24 hours, for a week, a month, whatever), things would never have gotten to the point were a perma-banning was called for. Sure, some people would have said Shrapnel was just silencing dissent, but the situation that resulted from allowing their anger to boil over and get themselves banned has to be worse.
So now a lot of people are going to be left with bad feelings over this, and that's going to linger. Am
I going to quit visiting this Forum? No - I had no personal connection with any of the banned, so I'm not taking it personally. But you know what, this whole thing has given me a bad vibe - coming here now feels a little bit like filling up on petrol from a BP station
Will that feeling last? Probably not, but it's still a damn shame.
Are there any lessons to be learned in all this? Well, for the visitors here, I guess the lesson is watch what you say (and you know what, being civil is always a good idea), and beware of crossing the Shrapnel moderators, as they have all the power.
As for the Shrapnel powers-that-be? What can you take away from all this? Because you
do have all the power. But remember what that old guy told Spider-man - with power comes responsibility! You've got to be the Big Man in these situations, and not act like a petulant child. When someone is trying to drag you down to their level (either a genuine trouble maker, or just someone who's really upset), you
need to rise above it. You should stay cool, calm, and especially detached. Because if you start taking things personally, you're just lowering yourself, and that's when someone is likely to get unnecessarily hurt.
Now you folks and Shrapnel don't
have to do anything. You've got the power to do as you see fit, or whatever strikes your fancy. But you know what? In my opinion, the way this whole situation has been handled has made Shrapnel seem very
unprofessional. I doubt I'm the only one who feels that way. Continue as you are, and that feeling will likely spread - and as business people, do you really want to get a reputation for not being professionals?
Just my two cents.