Why does the new owner need to be involved. Is there something from stopping me for running a contest? Can I do it here, or do I just put a link to somewhere off the forum.
Generally, yes you can. However, I think it has to do with sponsorship to fund the prizes for the contests. Sponsors usually have a 'tie-in' with the forum or group where they are funding the prize. After all, they are giving something of value for little more than goodwill in return. Gets complicated when the forum is a business instead of a hobby, as there is more than one person involved in the decision process, so 'yes/no' decisions are not 'off the cuff' but can instead get mired in red tape, especially when the business at hand is not the prime focus.
Again, I am merely speaking generally, as I am not privy to this particular case, other than what I read here.
We went from independent ownership to corporate ownership, so there's a wee bit o' gap between expectations and delivery on both sides. Both sides have different experiences they bring to the table, and what may seem reasonable to one side, can be totally unacceptable to the other.
Hopefully, we can find a happy medium somewhere (and soon please), as this is one of the few forums I have come across where there is a genuine sense of community left, and the members don't just go to peruse what's in the buy/sell section. We would all hate to see this community fractured, but having said that, any forum is only as good as its members, so the real value is not this site, but the people who make this site what it is.
Anyone can create a site, and this community is close knit enough that it could generate a mass exodus, leaving behind an empty shell and depreciating drastically the value of this site. I think then, keeping that in focus, the added onus is on the ownership to ensure things 'go on as before', or as close as can reasonably be.
Again, this is my personal view, based on my considerable tenure in business and e-commerce. I am in no way promoting an exodus to another site. I am merely saying that that is one of the possible outcomes, which is why in business, we say 'the customer is always right', for, without the customer, its just brick and stones..and in the case of a virtual store, not even that.
Just my $0.02
Al.
