The back and forth between some members (myself occasionally included) is like scenery on a long trip. Sure you want to get to your destination but sometimes the view out the window is just as interesting. If it puts you off I'm sorry but it isn't meant to, it's just the roll and ebb of the beautiful green hills of the BYOAC. Come, frolic in the verdant pastures of Cheffo and the bubbling brook of Ark.

Although I would use a different term than bubbling.
As for the back and forth over contentious topics like killing existing machines (which is actually dealt with in the FAQ), you will find that you have folks who have different opinions and that they care in differing degrees.
It can be hard to tell if both parties are just being idiots or if either has an actual point. It can take a while to recognize the difference, if there is one. I like to think that I contribute and, other than smacking ark for being ark, I think my advice in this thread has been solid.
If the passion of the discourse made Dawgz want to bail, then I feel somewhat bad for my role in that. Not terrible, but somewhat bad ... this hobby exists because many people have cared enough not to destroy, but to preserve. If everybody felt like ark does, then none of us would be here.
At the end of the day, however, this is saint's BBQ and he wouldn't want people to feel excluded due to the heat of the same old arguments, so please accept my apologies for any off-putting to the new folks.
In that spirit, let me quote the FAQ,
Please do be mindful that we don't destroy what we're trying to re-create. Many classic arcade machines are rare and worth a heck of a lot more intact than altered. Ideal candidates for this type of project are machines that have already been abused by previous owners - artwork destroyed, poorly converted, etc... If you have a classic cabinet in good shape, you can probably sell it to a collector and get a trashed but usable cabinet in the bargain.
