A moderator on an Internet forum is there merely to uphold the rules of engagement of the forum. It's a thankless job, with little reward and lots of criticism, as everyone has an opinion on everything. Humans are wonderful at second-guessing.

The mods here, by and large, do a good job at what they do, and have kept the forum going for a good number of years. Battles rage, and the mods only ask that the strong stuff be kept to the restricted, non-boxing boards. Bans are given, mostly temporary... and I imagine they mostly do the trick. Everyone can use a slap on the hand now and then.

There is a mechanism for complaining privately, and it's available to everyone. I've used it, and have received a response, whether it's what I wanted to hear or not.

It's tough dealing with so many different types of personalities on a forum, just like in real life. Finally, the fact that many of us keep coming back is the ultimate sign that something good we must be getting out of it.