Switch have stated that they save money by not spending on advertising, and cutting out the retailers. That's a perfectly valid business strategy, albeit one that does nothing to support sites like this one. What isn't a valid strategy, is allowing a manufacturer to advertise for free on this forum, alienating paying advertisers who provide the forum's revenue.

Somebody has to pay for the hosting and for Toby's time. Unless you've bought a banner, it's not you (although your clicks may influence the cost of that banner). Toby has to keep paying advertisers happy, as well as forum members - to do this, he has to make some judgement calls that you may not agree with. This is OK, because this is his livelihood, and not yours.

If you want total impartiality, maybe you'd consider paying a membership fee. Failing that, "no likey, no clicky".

PAFF, Weetabix, and Toby have it right.
If you don't like what Toby is doing with HIS BUSINESS, then feel free to go away and not look at the site.
Those that are complaining about the very moderate control he is exerting, are imaging what might be, more than reacting to the reality of what he really did.

Switch has a policy of minimal sales and marketing to keep costs and prices down, which is cool. Swamping sites such as this one with rave reviews is counter-productive though as people will soon stop believing and reading them and it may put them off the brand.
Toby is the moderator and he can do what he likes. The risk is that he doesn't want to alienate viewers. The barriers to entry for a competing site is pretty small, all you need is a host and some public domain software.
Public forums are on the decline these days as blogs and social media seem to be how people now get their message across. In the old days when we were trying to work out where this sport was going the designers, builders, and pros were contributing here but for most the random vitriol means that it is just no longer worth it.

I'm with Dr. Rosen...
Holy crap that was hard to look at WTF@#$%%^^

this is not really a 'public forum'; it is Toby's forum. if you don't like his rules, why are you here? I also don't blame Switch for trying to get free marketing. why not?

so both sides are merely doing what's best for them. but given Toby owns the forum, it's really only his rules that matter, and it's up to you to decide if you want to play by them. But you have no more say towards the way Toby runs his business than you do for the way Microsoft runs theirs...other than to make use of, or avoid, their products.

That said, the Switch Nitro is a reasonable kite that jumps very well, the Switch Method is hands down the worst kite I've ever flown.

but this is a forum and a store sales????

An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages

fairplay ok

the world of money

yes, of course. but it is not a free advertising heaven. it is about people asking questions and getting replies. The companies who support are getting in return the possibility to get their message across. Still, you have the choice of clicking a news or not, so there is no force, you are still free.

And again the question, who of you got any posting deleted where you asked a question, expressed your opinion (in a respectful way towards others) or shared your knowledge?

Are you selling advertising or are you selling exclusive club memberships.

You are hosting a community, in return for hosting this community you get to sell advertisers access to us. Typically, they buy banners, and such, they don't get to control content of the site. That would be like a television news channel's content being influenced by the commercial advertisers.
I don't want to be pimped by any company, regardless of if they have paid to have access to us or not. In reality, it is not the advertisers pimping us, it is you who is pimping us out by allowing it and profiting from it.
Keep the advertising in the banners and out of the threads. One rule for everyone.

I dont get you mission...
You are defending a corp that want`s to abuse others work, to profit themself whit out giving anything back to the community or the people that have build a marketplace for them to use.

Why do you want to defend a company that behave like that?

before I ask you. how you can defend capitalism???
money make the rules for you, correct ??