My criticisms were not aimed at this board alone. Note the terminology "these discussion boards."
Every board has its limitations with respect to, let us say moderation. Some moderators imagine threats when people they don't like point out that if the board talk were face to face discussions, it would mean that someone were bucking for a fight.
For example, the insults, name calling and false misrepresentations made in order to circumvent the discussion of an issue would lead to a fist fight if done on a face to face basis. So, if you point that fact out (and mainly because I don't understand why people act that way unless they are cowards and use discussion boards to play tough guy) you get in trouble and that group that employs such techniques is allowed to continue unabated.
Every board has its special interest groups and they have become masters at manipulating the flow of information. Take me, for example. Not being in a group, if I show the weak points of any special interest group, the entire flock comes out to challenge by way of insults, badgering, lies, misrepresentations, etc. Never mind that when I know where a certain political issue began, it's the fact that I don't toe the line with respect to socialist solutions that causes me to get flak from people too stupid to simply ask for explanations.
Regardless of which ones you reprimand, the group mentality is to win. And, winning even includes the illusion of winning when you are getting your butt handed to you. If a group can post the most insults and make the biggest splash, they are convinced, in their minds, they won and stopped the discussion. The fact that they intimidate others from having alternative opinions reinforces their psychological intimidation.