Firstly, I don't like talking about or criticizing other Forums as it easily leads to naming, or "We are the best", which mainly belongs to sports, or Military Dictatorships. I'm not saying your OP is in that direction - not at all. I do think this Forum is great, since it allows great freedom of speech, and even arguments. Like I noted once, "this Forum is in my opinion quite adult". We can give and take, but we don't shoot.
Well, I have experiences of what you mention, David. In fact I acted as a Moderator in a Forum that had those sorts of limitations. The cause was given as "problems or risks" with new members = read bots and stuff. But it caused and still causes tensions, as people cannot what they want or need. It's quite opposite to the common Western concept that
A person is innocent until found guilty.
Mike stated, in another topic, out of free memory, that
The rules of this Forum were not meant to adept to Moderators' needs or wants [of power], but to secure freedom and well being of members,
in order to keep the Forum vivid. --- It may be a bad quote, but it was something like that. I apologize, Mike, if it went wrong!
I do think our main task is to develop this one Forum further on the path it is on. I think we have a heck of a group.