Computer Moderation: The Bane of the Play By Mail Industry

[Ramblurr]

But, automation also comes at a price. Automation is not an all-positive approach to running PBM games.

Just gonna single out that quote before heading to bed. I don't think anyone would disagree with that assessment, however, as we have seen stated, pure hand moderation (the opposite of automation) is not an all-positive approach either when you're running a non-trivially sized game.

I think the main issue comes down to money. Today, people won't pay like they used to. Automation brings efficiency which reduces the GM's time investment, which allows more people to play at the cost of 'the magic'. It is a tradeoff or a spectrum, not a binary choice.