Bogleheads.org

I would give this financial website 5 stars for content and zero stars for moderation. Many members complain privately that they have been issued multiple warnings or banned, either temporarily or permanently for simply stating verifiable facts which refute disinformation being spread by those with a political agenda. Once you become a target of the moderators your days are numbered.

My latest reprimand came at 3 in the morning when, not being able to sleep I posted a comment that was non-political and informative. I noticed that the most aggressive moderator was the only member looking at my post as soon as I submitted it, so I suppose he/she has an alarm clock that goes off when I post something. Sure enough, he/she deleted my comment and said it was off topic, which is entirely untrue.
I received a warning, my third, because I mentioned the words "climate change" in response to another member denigrating California as being unlivable due to wildfires. I was told that using that term was trolling and "non-actionable", whereupon I checked and found 16 pages of 50 threads each which used the term "climate change" yet escaped any warnings or repercussions. 8 warnings and you are permanently banned, as a fellow member with 7 warnings recently told me.

This is unfortunate, because the site provides invaluable insight and differing perspectives on investing and finances in general, as well as helpful advice on other mundane matters from fellow members. Perhaps it is a symptom of our descent into division as a country that many previously unbiased websites have become a refuge for right wing conspiracy theorists. I suppose that one should expect a website primarily focused on investing to have predominantly Republican members and moderators. Unfortunately, these days that puts you at a disadvantage if you don't fall within that category, as you will be attacked for voicing an opinion that supports progress of any kind.

Both sides are called out when they violate the rules, but the attention to those who lean liberal is overly aggressive. If you offer facts to debunk a statement that another member makes, providing links to unbiased studies or articles, that member will stalk you and flag your posts to the moderators, who favor the right wing.

I've had innocuous comments removed recently for transparently false reasons. I replied to a fence building thread where two members were teasing each other about getting help with the construction of a fence and I jokingly said I'd let them build my fence if they would give me an apple, a reference to the book Tom Sawyer. I was reprimanded for posting something insulting, and when I explained the reference there was no apology and no reposting of the comment or explanation given to the member who complained.

My comments are always respectful and attempt to provide help when I'm not asking a question myself. Being an active target is not my idea of entertainment however, and neither is being unjustly accused of something I'm not doing. Maybe if I was a Republican I could fly under the radar, or at least be excused if I ever insulted anyone, like many of them do with impunity.

If I were to give anyone advice on visiting the website I would say that it provides value, but unless you are a Republican, arrive with your armor well in place and realize that the rules are different and more stringent for you.