wk, do you suppose that this might be why we have so few creationists on this board -- we have shown a propensity for banning them?
That is certainly a contributing factor. There are obviously several elements to how that has an impact, firstly there is the choice a creastionist makes from lurking or looking over the forum as to whether they want to participate. If they think the moderation is biased or hostile they may well not wish to participate unless they are ready to put up a fight, possibly against a lot of people at once.
The second is that there is a form of selection going on as those creationists more prone to losing their temper or derailing a topic may find themselves banned for what the moderating team consider to be neutral guideline based reasons, although these may be perceived as biased.
Since a perceived bias is something which may predispose only the more determined and possibly the more combative creationist interlocutors it may be that those creationists most likely to participate in a forum they perceive as weighted against them are also those more likely to infringe the forum guidelines.
I realise this is a huge generalisation and there are a number of evo-skeptic members who manage to keep a relatively even keel, but I certainly think that there is a connection between the enforcing of the forum guidelines and the level of creationist participation on the board.
I don't know to what extent a Soapbox area like the Showcase forum effects this situation. Does it suggest that we are tolerant of other views or that we are arrogant and dogmatic and like to keep our creationists in a cage to poke with sticks?
TTFN,
WK