First up, I didn't close the thread. It was done by the moderation team. However, after having read the thread and some of the discussion behind the scene (which you have not been a party to), I fully support the decision to close the thread.
Some of the posts have been borderline defamatory and were not really on topic with the original discussion.
Umm ... sash - I think you should get your facts straight before going off like this.
Jacque is not, nor has she ever been a moderator on this site. She had no influence over the discussion or the thread being closed.
I have known Jacque for a very long time - she is never one to shy away from a debate on topics that she is both knowledgeable and passionate about - and will gladly discuss anything you want to know about buyers agents.
I sincerely suggest you start a new thread if you want to continue the discussion from what Jacque posted - I think buyers agents is a valid topic of conversation on this site and will generate a lot of interest.
As for the moderators making decisions about closing threads - these things are never done in isolation. We have a private discussion area where all such actions are discussed amongst the team - and actions are never final, they can always be undone if we change our mind.
sash, please stop posting like you are some anonymous person hiding behind a keyboard. You know me, I know you, we've talked many times at various meetups ... I am a human being who has feelings, not some mindless bureaucrat who gets paid to put up with abuse being hurled at them. I expected better from you.
I normally don't honour posts like yours with a response - and I don't respond to entreaties to "make my response a good one", however, since there are other people who were interested in that thread, I thought it reasonable to explain and correct any misinformation or misunderstandings.
There is robust discussion and then there is dragging a thread off topic with borderline defamatory postings and badgering. I don't care if you have the best barristers in the world - I have neither the time, nor the inclination to defend myself in court over something that someone else wrote on our forum.
You and I have had this discussion in the past sash - I've made it clear that I don't respond to bullying from lawyers or people with commercial interests who don't like what people are writing on the forums ... but at the same time, we do make our own judgements as to what is appropriate and what is not.
If someone complains about a post or thread and we agree that it steps over the line, we will take action as we deem necessary.
