It's a fine line, in my opinion. The forum has to evolve its own personality, but the owners/operators have to hold it to their vision. Members sometimes have to be reined in if they appear to be squashing the views of members with fewer posts or less knowledge.

The first thing to do is be sure the Terms of Service are in good shape and cover unproductive behavior. Then, I'd try to work with the problem member(s) and see if the can improve their style.

I've seen it work, and I've seen it fail. It's a loss when a high-post-count member has to go, but once in a great while it's necessary.

I'd add that this kind of situation is one more example of why it is good to address problems swiftly. Correction or even banning a problematic new member isn't difficult. Let that member hang around for ages, and suddenly the problem gets bigger - that member's buddies will raise a hue & cry, other members will worry that nobody is safe from arbitrary actions, etc.

Of course, sometimes the problems only develop after the member has been around forever.

Let that member hang around for ages, and suddenly the problem gets bigger - that member's buddies will raise a hue & cry, other members will worry that nobody is safe from arbitrary actions, etc.

I totally agree on this one, I've seen it a lot. If you suspect a problem maker the best thing to do is weed him/her out as soon as possible, otherwise it'll take a lot more people with it later.