You know, I've been hanging around the 2K forums a bit recently and I see a good number of "dissenting opinions" - IE, negative opinions on the game - being aired there, and many of them by members with accounts over a year old. They obviously haven't been banned, so, I have to ask... Do you people claiming they're squashing anyone who disagrees with them actually have any examples you're thinking of? I can't help but get the feeling this is just more "2K is evil" over dramatization.
What I see VERY little of there is completely nonconstructive negativity, and it wouldn't surprise me if they're banning the "ZOMG CIV V SUCKS!" crowd which doesn't actually contribute anything even semi constructive to the forum. Is this what you're claiming is "squashing dissenting opinions"? If so, do you feel this element is something that should be allowed to run rampant?
They don't squash everyone who disagrees, and I haven't said that.
I don't think it was this thread, but I have described the moderating at @2K as heavy-handed. My other impression was that the place had too many idle teenagers.
My experiences at 2K were entirely as a lurker and mostly in the pre-release phase , when we were all information hungry. I noticed a number of "HEY! where did my/that thread/post go? All I said was.." posts. I only noticed one thing disapear personally. The particulars are water under the bridge to me, and I have no desire to go back there and dig up proof.
I used to moderate one of the boards on another forum that used software like this one for years. I learned that people often come to forums to vent, and it's usually best to let them do so, even if it annoys the resident socializers, debaters, inquisiters and know-it-alls. Let them vent and they usually evaporate, try to put a stopper on them and they'll likely explode all over the forum in an Everett37 kind of way.
Please take my word for it that the moderators on this forum do a better job than what I witnessed over at 2K. I couldn't imagine the STEAM wars we had here taking place at 2K. By the time Steam was public, it was a done deal, so nothing constructive came of the debate , even if there were some important issues and priciples discussed. Just because it was non-constructive doesn't mean it didn't need to be said.
I think it was as much on account of heavy-handed moderators as an excess of idle teens, it's not a winning combination.