Hi everyone
It's true that a handful of established BC'ers have chosen to leave recently for their own reasons. It's a shame, especially as I count a few of them as old BC friends.
Here's a bit of perspective.
The most recent thread list suggests it's not just usual suspects starting threads. It's a whole range of users, most of whom have no interest in who 'the old guard' are (and I consider myself an old-guarder), and most of whom will never have any contact with a mod. I've done a quick non-scientific check, and about 15 new members a day are signing up, holding steady.
Consider this: there are 433 people online at the moment.
Put 433 people with different personalities and opinions into a pub, and I guarantee there'll be a few 'did you spill my pint?' moments. It'll still be a canny night out, though.