Naturally, then, every time anybody mentions another cutlery maker their post will be deleted? It is not just to enforce the rule when people talk about neckers, but not when they talk about machetes (12 hits for Tramontina in the last month, 42 for Ontario)? Why a specific exemption for folders; could it be that Dan acknowledges that it's not a market he's competing in? Taking the rule to its logical extreme ("other manufacturer's products"), why are people allowed to talk about specific brands of handgun, tent, or flashlight?

All I'm saying is that the rule is a poorly worded and is a bad rule. Used lightly it is a tool of seeming whimsy, and used to its full extent it is inoperably oppressive. It should be changed to something along the lines of "Refrain from talking about competitor's alternatives to products which SYKCO offers except in the case of comparisons".

I'm not an anarchist. If word comes down that this is absolutely 100% how the rule was meant to be enforced even taking into account my logical rebuttals, I'll just go elsewhere. Using other people's internet forums is a privilege, not a right, I fully understand that. But I believe that the Scrapyard forum could benefit from some constructive review of its policies on this matter.

This is a separate issue from the issue of "invisible" moderation which I dislike everywhere I find it, for the reasons I gave above: first that it is not productive, and second that it is insulting. It can also lead to rampant abuse of power, but given the caliber of people on this forum that is not a problem I worry about.