Takuan’s original line of inquiry may have seemed odd, but he was trying to find out who you were, or rather, were you anyone noteworthy. If you had been a nobody, I don’t think there’s any chance your comments would have survived that exchange intact. I highly suspect that Takuan is one of the editors (incognito), as this is the most feasible explanation for why he gets away with all the things he does, and why he was so interested in knowing who you were and what you were doing rather than simply addressing your points.

As a moderator and well spoken member of another very popular website, you were deemed too popular to censor.

An interesting challenge would be to go back under a different title, using the same manner of speech, but don’t claim to be anyone of any import, and see how their attitudes change. Unfortunately, I guarantee you that they are tracking your IP and will recognize you if you try to use a new identity without also using a different internet hookup.

I know all this because I tried to have a similar discussion much earlier, right around the time that the first posts were being “disemvoweled”. I dare say my approach at the time was similar to yours in that thread: simply trying to discuss the situation with no agenda or bias. I had enjoyed reading BB and quite liked the place at the time. My reward for questioning the “disemvoweling” practice was to get banned. I wasn’t famous enough to do anything about it.

Now, of course, I’m annoyed and on an agenda, mostly because I think it’s terribly hypocritical of them and because it annoys me all the more when the only difference between my banning and, e.g., your continued posting in good faith is that you were someone too risky to ban.