ive stated my opinion on this, i was perplexed by the vehemence of the reaction towards this thread and i wanted to convey my positive experience on the Treehouse. after seeing some of the responses here i really don't think the idea of bringing back mb will lead to anything but bickering and mud throwing. i like having two forums to go to, each offering their own advantages and learning opportunities. its too bad that some people cant get along, but that is not unique to the internet (politics, anyone?)that said i wanted to respond to Treevet's post before i wash my hands of this issue and get back to obsessing over tree gear and techniques.
"I vote and Merritt and Dyl get to skip paying for Jan. for loyalty.

"
loyalty is earned. were you paid for your loyalty to treebuzz? i would think that your loyalty is born of a sense of camaraderie and a shared passion with the members and moderators of this site. if the members of the treehouse started bashing the buzz like some of the posts here, you can be sure i would be posting in it's defense just as passionately.
"I found the guy extremely immature, borderline mildly retarded."
im not here to argue mb's character, you are entitled to express your opinion. if that was your impression of the guy, so be it.
"A new guy gets along just fine there in a greenhorn, buttkiss capacity..."Hey mister, how do ya tie that bolen thing?" "Really, awesome", just HOW big is your bar....sweeeet" (lol'ing)."
i haven't found that to be the case at all. there are members of the th with 30, 40, 50+ years of professional experience. these forums, here and there, are all about sharing knowledge and learning from each other. no one has to grovel, and no one is treated second class for being a beginner. now if you come in full of blustering, knowitall, hot air, and start telling everyone how awesome you are, you will get little respect. that is true here, as well as there (Daniel, anyone?).
"If you know more than many of the "regs" (meatheads) there and give opinion...you are in for their little routine. Probably got beat up on the playground as kids when no protection around."
see above about knowitall attitudes. how much time have you spent there, and how can any learning take place when your attitude is "i know more than you do"? how do you react when someone comes at you with that kind of mindset? not favorably i would guess, i know i don't. as far as their grade school experiences, is that really relevant? you wish to portray some people im sure you never really tried to get to know as repressed victims lashing out at any threat to their fragile egos? that seems a bit childish to me (no pun intended), and certainly not something i would hope to see from one whose argument is against character bashing and cabalistic intrigue.
so, as far as mb is concerned, don't invite him back, for the good of both sites. lets keep things civil. just because a few people really don't like each other, it doesn't have to take away from the enjoyment and learning opportunities of the rest of us. i'm sorry this post is so long, i will go back to reading the gear forums now. cheers. jaime