Very well summarized and accurate. I also had some friendly interactions with him in his original Skoal incarnation. However, he trolled back then as well and took his trolling too far on multiple occasions, enough to land under moderator supervision. While certain individual posts can be over-moderated here IMO, perpetual trolling itself has been very hesitantly addressed or recognized at all.
This isn't difficult. He became an incessant troll and was the primary instigator of the unrest, not the victim. It is important to remember that he was not banned as Skoal. He requested his account be deleted and then came back under a new name to escape his reputation. Then did it again! I've been on more than a few message boards in my time, and the kid gloves he was treated with given these actions were frankly staggering. Finally the correct and obvious decision was made under the new moderation team. Kudos to them. The atmosphere is improved.
It is disappointing to read the false equivalences of the troll and those who challenged the troll. Are the individuals who were his primary targets / adversaries perfect? Hardly, none of us are. But don't confuse racing fans with differing opinions disagreeing in good faith vs. a sh!t-stirrer whose primary goal is to provoke discontent. Large forums can survive such presences. Small communities rarely can, as the negative effect is too great, and not balanced by passive individual 'ignoring'.
If you "didn't have a problem with him" personally, I guess consider yourself fortunate. He claimed to "respect" me until the very end. I recognized that he was smart and crafty, and wished he had something useful to contribute to racing discussion.