Damn, you will never change Cam. But I think you are wrong on this.
You explained the sole reason why as a Mod I refused to join the IRC channel. To allow members a place to vent, and for any matter. I accepted that fact as a Mod, as long as it did not interfer with the daily routine of the Forum. Heck, the channel was never a concern in the back rooms, back when. And it should not either to this day, since members could gather in any other channel, and still decide to bring their "issues" over here.
My taughts? The Forum is simply living Growing Pains. New members mixing with old farts that have a ton of knowledge. Unfortunately this can cause clashes... and it did - quite a few times. Was this preventable? No. This is where moderation quicks in. Did the Mods take the right decisions? As regular members, you have no rights to even come up with an answer (I'm looking at you, Zero). The Mods took their decision(s) based on the facts they had on hand, and to the best of their abilities.
And what do you do as regular members? You have 2 options:
you shut the f... up, and move on.
you shut the f... up, and leave.
This is not a freakin' kindergarden.