I think what we're dealing with isn't all that far off from the ebb and flow of this place. As a former moderator, a poster of some regularity, and now more of a ghost, I just don't think this board was ever truly cut out for a strict system of moderation. If anything, I think your average everyday poster was pretty good at dealing with an unwanted troll. Either the more vocal, dominant posters would try to rout the individual, or people would just stop paying attention to the drivel, or the troll would naturally burn themselves out.
I certainly think it's helpful to have a few standards. Certainly no one appreciates Photoshopped or stolen pictures claimed to be legitimate, or a bunch of spammed messages popping up across several categories. And those are fine, but I think moderators certainly get a bad name and find their patience stretched when dealing with extra rules, guidelines, protocol, etc. That's just taxing to begin with, and that might account for the recent increase in "Shut up!"-esque type responses.
Are the moderators literally being that draconian? I'm not sure, but if it's being perceived by a fair number of people on the board, there's a problem to deal with.
That said, no easy solution exists. I wouldn't overhaul the entire moderator system, but I certainly would advise a few folks to sip on some iced tea, beat the heat, and just relax around here. Ease up.
This board has withstood many reincarnations, server problems, transfers of ownership, a variety of trolls and liars, burgeoning civil wars of sorts, and grossly exaggerated dick. I am confident that this place will continue to stand, that dissatisfied people will get over the unnecessary and move on, and that we'll all stand to learn something.
Personally, when it gets a little too hectic or crazy, I just take a break. I'm working a couple of jobs anyway and my time is limited enough as is. When I hear that a lot of silly shit is going down, I just kinda roll it off of my shoulders. The good lot of it doesn't involve me, and I don't care to involve myself in it. That, and as of now, I've grown accustomed to not sticking around the site for all that long a time per session anyway. I occasionally pop in the chat room and people aren't talking, so, hasta la vista there. I glance at the new posts and I'll comment if something strikes me. But that's basically it...
One more point to consider, and probably the hardest to consider at all.
LPSG isn't the place we've grown to love, at least not right now. Sure, some of that is just "the way of things," but maybe it's because as our membership time increases, our needs and wants and desires for this site change, too. What started out as a source of amusement for me way back when became a good place to share information -- particularly about my own developing personal views on human sexuality. That's just priceless to me, being able to learn something new and to credit that to people who have opened up my mind and shaped me in some sort of way.
So, ask yourselves that: What do you really want out of this place? What is here for you?
Whatever the answer, make that your cause for sticking around instead of blaming it on trolls or politics or whatever. When you start focusing on what matters to you more, naturally, the petty stuff can't help but fall by the wayside. And if you decide that LPSG is just too much for you to tolerate, then by all means use your Web time elsewhere (because there's a lot of good stuff out there). That's cool. You won't be blamed for doing so.
Of course, it's very much possible to say to hell with the board and to still keep in touch with people you like. Between hiatuses, I try to keep up with board friends through IM and e-mail. Naturally, I'd get a bit disinterested if we were still talking LPSG stuff -- and, of course, we'd talk on other things -- and that made me realize that the friendships established are more than just pertinent to dicks and pics.
