I thought I would respond to this as a 'noob' , I have been a member of this forum for the last couple of weeks, after watching it for about a month before deciding to join up.
I am aware of some of the issues that have arisen lately, I would point out that a lot of 'these issues' appears to be from a number of the more established members as well as the new members either reacting to an offensive or pointless post or posting themselves in an inappropriate manner either is just as bad as the original poster.
My understanding of having Moderators is exactly that, to moderate the content of the forum, if I feel insulted or advice is wrong then they are there to report it to.
I would assume that the Moderators are chosen because they have been seen to provide accurate and useful advice, or the way they have conducted themselves prior to being made a moderator, they are that position of responsibility because they have been deemed fit to be in it.
I would have concerns if other members take it upon themselves to start acting in that role, yes you may have reached Guru status, or been on the forum since the beginning of dawn but even those well established members should use the moderators for the purpose that they are there for.
As a new member and my own person with my own value base and personal moral ethos, I accept that I may offend people although this is unintentional and I would hope that I could resolve this without major issue, but to manage this, maybe it would be wise to pm someone rather then raise it in the public arena, or if they feel that a thread should be removed then to contact a moderator.
It is clear that there are a number of younger persons who visit this board, surely it is the responsibility of the older members to guide and advise as you would do off the computer in real life.
It would be a shame if members do decide to leave on account of this, as I from what I have seen there is a very close knit community who all have a wealth of knowledge and skills, and indeed as a 30 year old I am very much aware that there are many younger persons who have a far greater knowledge regarding computers and their use then me and I will gladly accept their advice.
However this will not stop me offering advice when I feel I can contribute, and I would expect if I am wrong to be advised if it is incorrect in a positive and constructive manner and not to be flamed or put down because of those comments.
In any community there will always be fresh blood who can have a positive effect, no one is perfect, and I hope that new members can be made to feel welcome as I believe I have been made to feel so since I became a member and I hope to continue to be able to play a role in the future.
I hope in this, I haven't offended anyone , and if so I offer my apologies in advance and please feel free to discuss this further with me but I did feel the need to comment on this.
Thanks