@Johnnyuk Please let me very clear - this forum has run quite happily for many years without someone turning up and trying to change things before they even get to know the forum and the wonderful members here
This is NOT a songwriting school - this is simply a place to share songs, give feedback and discuss songwriting with peers
You clearly do not realise that your comments can come across as a bit condescending (and I appreciate that the written word can be misunderstood) so this is some direct feedback I think you need to consider
There will NEVER be a vote for the worst song of the month - this may have worked in a controlled school/teaching environment but it is definitely never going to happen on my forum
I am personally not a fan of "competitive songwriting" but the competitions are more about fun, collaborating and yes - a bit of back slapping
Those who stick around tend to "get it" and realise that most are after constructive feedback and some encouragement
We can all be ultra critical - but (and I tend to need to keep repeating this to you) a critique is just one person's opinion
I would give a very different review to someone saying they are pitching commercially as I would to someone who has written a song just for the art of it - You seem unable to separate the 2
You also seem to have difficulty not being "the teacher" and "font of all knowledge" so a "peer to peer" forum may not be the best outlet for you
If a new member continually rubs other people up the wrong way it does not mean there is a "clique" as (in my vast experience of the forum) anyone can join the clique, which means it is not a clique but an open group of like minded individuals
You may just need to reconsider how you approach a peer to peer forum - or decide whether you need to have your own blog, forum, website where you can share your knowledge as "the teacher"
The problem is you can't do both at the same time - you can't be "the teacher" one minute and in the class the next
It is a recipe for disaster and constant "fall outs" - that I neither have the time nor energy to keep resolving
I personally agree with many of the things you have said about songwriting - but your perceived insistence on trying to "teach" people can come across as condescending- which is then not helped by criticising the running of the forum
Please consider how your posts will be perceived or whether this forum is the right outlet for you