and knight, thanks for your input. Rest assured that the subject of when to merge and when not to merge is discussed frequently by the mods and I behind closed doors. There is also a thread started by JCA that seeks feedback on moderator policies, I welcome you to join in.
do you guys just meet up in a shed and drink beers and talk crap about posters?
b/c that's how these "Chief and Goonies" play out in my mind.