I just read through "Terms and Rules" and "User Agreement." I could not find anything that even vaguely hints at what you've described here. Can you provide any official statement from the AAC site owners confirming their stance on the matter? Because from my perspective it looks like one moderator forcing their own ideas about forum etiquette on the masses, with no official documentation to back it up or even any consensus from the moderation team (hence the debacle that started this thread). It seems counterintuitive that the policy you've just layed out is what the AAC site owners would actually want in place on their site, as it is more likely to drive away new members than attract them.<Sigh>
I've stated this so many times it is getting boring.
A thread belongs to the TS, period. ...
If the subject is that interesting you open up your own thread. It is extremely simple. ... you are not allowed to take it over as your own....
This is not going to change. I have said this several time to the same person over and over. You may disagree with it, it is your prerogative, but it is not going to change.