I've been here quite a while, and I think the number of posts being stopped and told to search has decreased DRASTICALLY. And before only certain moderators would post a link to an old thread, now I see more users doing it because it's so easy to find them with the similar threads box below. The point of showing the OP the old thread is so they can instantly have more responses, threads are never closed unless there is there inappropriate material or unsolicited advertising; they may be merged but that's so that there all discussion of one topic is consolidated and easier to access for the general public. The same idea is behind moving threads; it's just organization. Like Pistol Pete, I also use the new posts feature along with many other users... there are people who think a thread has more exposure in a different forum but I disagree. And even if it is true, moves are done with a temporary redirect left in the original place. What really bugs me is when a user posts THE SAME topic in two places and I always report it; for users like me who use the new post feature it shows up twice and is just unnecessary. Organizing topics doesn't make it more difficult to see what posters are saying, but instead makes it easier for users to select what they want to see, and makes it easier to find posts in the future, and assures that the thread will be considered by the experts who typically stick to each of the categories.
As far as the Pro-Porsche administration, there has been a lot of healthy discussion here about future changes to the model line but you have to remember that this site is the official
PCA Cayman Register, and that means the site has to follow some rules. Also, the site is an entity that has to follow copyright laws to be able to survive and avoid legal penalties. The embargoed information (which was not even about the Cayman) was removed from the other Porsche forums as well for legal reasons, it's not just unique to this club. As far as I know, there has never been any suppression of discussion about the upcoming model change and I see new information and pictures from "spy" sites posted every other day.
I agree that sometimes there seems to be a little too much policing, but most of it arises out of members reporting posts because they are either offensive, double posts, or just blatantly in the wrong area. Though one thing I've noticed is that posters have been able to start the same thread in their zone category as well as another category and not have the two merged as long as they explain they did so for more exposure.
- Suneet