Ben,
I have read your last post several times, and gave a reply that one time seemed to address it.

Now as I look again I see that you seem to be putting the context of the anti-chlorine people writing out there in the aether as being posters on your board.

The two forms of the argument need to be properly defined.

In running PoolForum you have set up a particular set of rules and standards that you expect members to adhere to. Fair enough--I don't pretend this is the public news media where all sides need to be presented.

Therefore I have NO objection to you preventing the anti-chlorine crowd from dumping their particular message here, nor do I object to your reasons--you see it as bad science and as dishonest propaganda. I don't disagree.

One of the reasons I have agreed to participate as a moderator is that, like you, I am tired of people being fed fairy tales (and EXPENSIVE ones too) about their pool care. I see PoolForum as a growing voice in the wilderness that, with demonstrable successes is showing how other techniques (for lack of a really good work for them) fail--consistently. I don't "believe" your techniques work--I don't have to take it on faith. I've observed them working repeatedly and predictably in my own pool and in the pools of others.

I don't feel you need to give "equal time" to people pushing the "slug" method of lowering T/A, to the electromagnets that show up, to the Nature2 type systems. When they show up with good science, I won't have to convince you to give them an airing--I know that you will simply review it and decide if the science is valid--no matter where it takes you. Till then, they go in the tinfoil hat cabinet or the Hall of Shame.

You're not bound to publish lies and liars.

But what happens when you are trying to change policy, and get involved with politics? You say you demand orthodoxy in your forum. Thankfully, I think that's not accurate. You always seem willing to investigate new ideas, and have them investigated, as long as there is a sound basis for doing that (not tin-foil hats here, please).

For example: When I first visited the PoolForum years ago, you were very skeptical about Intex donut pools--discounting the value and validity of them. You were fairly leery of A/G pools in general, though you have a section on them in PoolSolutions as well. And, of course, I had one of the early Intex EasySets. Still do, if the mice haven't eaten through it, buried somewhere in the shed. I argued: Wait a second, it's a real pool with real water, a real filter, you get just as wet--and the chemistry needs to be addressed. In fact, my favorite image is lying in a floating armchair, with a drink, on a lazy afternoon, listening to the ball game--and that it makes no difference if it's a donut or an inground.

Over the years I've seen you soften--even put forth the idea that AG pools get used MORE because people won't tolerate them in their yards if they are not using them--they'll get torn down faster than an IG will be abandoned.

Another example: DE in sand filters. Al and I have both been delighted with the results and have suggested other people try it, frequently. It's not orthodoxy, but it's logical. And you haven't said "No more discussion of DE in sand filters."

I could cite other examples, I can think of several--but all of them have something in common: they all had a logical basis and you "succumbed" to logic. To me, that's not orthodoxy. Unless, of course, your orthodoxy is facts and logic and truth, wherever it takes you.

But the other side is the side of politics and policy--the art of compromise. Sometimes you just have to hold your nose. Not here, not on the board, but out there when we go into our polling booths and form our coalitions to get something or other done. The "fellow travellers" in ANY political movement always have an unpleasant amount of mishegoss. A political movement is ANY organizing to influence the government--whether by convincing law makers to change laws, or electing law makers. There's always going to be people with that mishegoss.

I'm a motorcyclist, been one a lot longer than I've been a pool owner. There's ALWAYS someone posturing to limit or outlaw our activity. Frequently, it's in a way that's only good for one thing--drumming up votes. Even more frequently, they are citing BS put forth by the insurance industry (Bikes are very inconvenient to to them ) Sometimes, a lot of the OTHER positions of that person are ones that I agree with. I may HATE their position on bikes, but on other things that are far more important, the other candidate is worse. What do I do? Do I become a single issue voter, or do I do a cost-benefit analysis?

Then, of course, comes the great betrayal when the person gets elected and does the OPPOSITE of what they promised.