The problem is - not just banning the offender...but deleting the posts from database (if insisted by the complainer). that is a very taxing operation.Reason why I am forced to intervene is some SJW scholar types have visited this forum and have gone through some of the threads (L&M in particular) and made complaints about misogynistic and such other attitudes of posters by name.
And these were escalated way beyond mere admins.
So either control yourself or we will have to shut down GDF.
and would lead to more disruptions and probably lets it open for the complainer to go after the individual poster.
so, the decision to close the entire gdf was to keep this complainer, whoever it is, from pursuing further.
It is easy to tell somebody else to fight, especially in the comfort of anonymity and as a group, but when it comes to legal issues that target individuals, many will back off.
so, go easy on the mods. They tried other options (recruiting more mod, recall messages posted for some users to check their PMs). Some mods had to drop off, either to protect themselves, or that they could not go with this decision and dissented.
Anyways, the bigger lesson is to be more responsible and accountable for what we post. Keep it clean and follow basic rules of no name calling, not calling for violence even in vague ways, no libel and always provide proof or use "alleged" type language, no code words for entire groups, no collective punishment, no misogynist language etc etc etc..