I think it’s worth mentioning that based on the recent changes in replying within announcements, we don’t want to stop people from discussing said announcement, but to keep it a clean spot that can link to various threads if necessary (obviously this thread was created based on the closure so almost proves my point). I’ve offered my perspective here: Can't reply to specific threads anymore - #38 by Ohifriend.
The other forum switching to VIP only I believe is based on a request for a VIP spot in the forums. The forums used to be VIP only and if anything is there that probably should be moved to a public spot we can do so.
If you find any other threads that you believe warrant being moved, let me know and I can do so when I get the chance.