You've done a lot of research there, Norseman, but I'm not quite sure what it proves, other than many who join the forum don't actively participate. I think that is about par for the course with many forums.
As each new member joins, they are sent a welcome message which outlines the aims and rules of Mayhem, and suggests ways of participating soon after joining. A number of newbies do just that but, as you point out, many never do. That is something completely beyond Mayhem's control, people make their own decisions as to whether they wish to post or not.
You say that in your 25 plus posts you haven't contributed a lot; I disagree, you have taken part in discussions and offered opinions, which is one of the reasons that Mayhem exists. The reason that the "25 contributory posts before listing an item for sale" rule was put in place was to stop people making use of Mayhem purely as a cheap alternative to eBay. The word "contributory" was added later so people didn't build up their count by making pointless comments.
Trooper63, you made a very good point about civility and politeness, two qualities which the moderators try hard to uphold. Occasionally we upset someone who believes that "free speech" is just that, in other words, he can say what he likes, when he likes, about whomever he likes, regardless of the language used. These people don't take kindly to moderation, however, and are often very vocal in their expressions of outrage if a moderator sanctions them. This site belongs to Martin, he set the rules and the moderating team does its best to maintain that standard. We also try to keep topics on track but, as the moderators only have a limited amount of time to devote to the forum, we don't always succeed.
With regard to the "Search" facility; I agree it can be somewhat frustrating at times but, by using the "advanced" search, it is usually possible to find what you are looking for. Martin pays for the site largely out of his own pocket, with help from some sponsors, and to introduce a much more comprehensive search capability would probably cost much more.
Peter Fitness,
Moderator.