[jhedwards]

> If an online community is mature, empathetic, and self-aware - why would it require strong moderation

First off I think you make a point. However, the reason I think strong moderation is still required, even if those previous qualifiers are met, is that online communities are generally built off of focus on some shared interest. Real flesh and blood people, even if they are mature and empathetic etc, will invariably have a variety of passions some of which may conflict with the focus of the community.

If a passion that conflicts with the focus surfaces in a discussion it may _ignite_ that passion among a subset of the members of the community. This causes conversation to derail, the community loses focus, and the members abandon the forum. Strong moderation keeps the community focused, and for that reason the community thrives and is "healthy".