Steve, I think those sites are actually part of Pete's
other site and linked here for convenience of use for those planning trips to Orlando in general, as a destination. They are kept separate and on their own boards, as you did indicate here.
As for the other boards, cooking, crafting, pixie dust, diet, flowers, collecting, etc, I think those contribute to the second of the two stated primary purposes, that being a Disney community, with the first being Disney travel planning. I think (I may be way off, oftentimes I am) that he, being the guy who owns the place, having written the rules as he sees fit, for the betterment of his site, did not see the recently made 'read only' board as fostering either of those precepts, planning, nor community. Just my thoughts.
In the past, when things were done, in general to the boards or with me as an individual, that I may not have liked or agreed with, one of my options was to take a hike, or lay in lurkdom. I decided to do neither, still here. Well, okay, several times over the past 5+ years here, I have gotten my shorts in a knot and sulked and lurked for a short time, but the DIS, its people, the family here, have meant more to me than to sit on the sidelines, looking in. I like to participate, in the planning of my trips to Orlando and Anaheim, and help, when I can, others do the same. I thoroughly and immensely enjoy the community these boards foster, to me, my family, my friends here. Others, on the other hand, who have been here over the years, objecting to changes the owner thinks are appropriate, have sulked off, a few starting their own DIS spin-off boards (kind of like a Happy Days and then a Laverne and Shirley spin-off), and a few following in those leaders' footsteps and becoming members, I guess, of those same spin-off boards. Those boards certainly have their legitimate place on the Net, filling a need, uncensored and more free-wheeling. Others have just left, off to where, I have no idea. Some I miss dearly, some I could not care less as to where they are. And others, simply lurk here, or change their name, so as to participate, but more or less, not willingly.
The DIS has evolved a lot from when I, and many who have posted on this thread, first stopped here. I know I have seen many changes, but still, as Pete says, it is about planning and community, with a common bond intertwined of Disney. It brought me here, it holds me quite tightly. But, if I did not like what I saw here, if it meant that much to me as to what I did not agree with, I would have left, and will in the future, if I see it as such. For now, I see no real change, from my perspective.
Dan
