I've just read the ClieSource thread and have come to the conclusion, my own personal conclusion of course, that the problem is "cultural". What I mean by this is that certain sets of people visit certain web sites or forums and eventually those sites and forums gradually develop a culture by accretion, certain types of people stick there and certain types eventually stop visiting or visit extremely irregularly. Yes, the site or forum policies can have a lot of impact on this, but sometimes they are not a factor at all. Certainly a change in policy can shake loose certain users or subcultures that had accreted. This, I believe, is what has happened at Turcic.com.
I was a lurker here prior to the change, I had not posted anything at all and had certainly reaped the benefits of the WCC and link postings. My initial reaction to the change was something resembling resentment. I had lost a resource that I had come to enjoy on a daily basis. Yes, the forums that were closed to me were the ones I wanted most, it would have been a tremendously stupid and ineffective policy otherwise.
I then engaged my brain. I couldn't provide loads of great links to the forum, but maybe there were some I could, so I did. I could also participate in other ways, so I did. I then could ask to be given access with a clear conscience... so I did.
I do agree with the ClieSource thread that such a policy could lead to ridiculous postings and subsequent requests for access. So what? The lack of such a policy certainly does not keep ClieSource or any other site or forum free from ridiculous postings.
The initial message posted about the changes uses the phrase "our community", and I believe that if you stop and think about it this is exactly the aim of the policy, to engender a spirit of community. I am certain it is not the only way, it may not be the best way, but it is *a* way to try to do so.
The policy may equate to cultural enforcement to some degree, but the beauty of it is that no one is holding a gun to your head and saying "You post on Turcic or I'm pulling the trigger!" You are free to leave, as apparently some folks have. Their loss or our loss? Who knows, and in the end, who cares? I think it is unfortunate that they chose to express their displeasure elsewhere where it is not much more than a rant. Certainly posting here could possibly have been more productive.
Okay, I've probably rambled more than enough... In conclusion I will say that I am not a huge fan of the policy, but I think I am a fan of the results. And I'm happy I posted (and not just once) and that I now think about things I can contribute. I hope the others that stay feel the same way. We'll find a lot of cool stuff that way.