That someone who repeatedly causes trouble 
and/or constantly stirs the pot will listen to 
JUST ANYONE (no matter how polite they are in 
their replies)?  Lots of forum veterans have 
tried reasoning with those who make ill-advised 
posts, but many times all it does is cause an 
even greater negative reaction.

Especially for a newbie, how would they tell the 
difference between someone who knows what 
they're talking about and someone who might be 
just as much as newbie as they are (but are 
trying to show off their opinion)?  It could 
very well be Yann, Drac, or Evil Minion replying 
(and very courteously and reasonably, to boot) 
to a hot-head newbie, but the newbie might just 
as well dismiss them as blowing smoke.

If all it takes is a simple little icon or tag 
which designates a trusted forum veteran as an 
official moderator (heck, the forum veteran 
isn't really even doing anything different from 
before) ... then a hot-head newbie will be more 
likely to recognize their experience and listen 
to their advice PLUS it eliminates the 
need/desire for other forum members to jump on 
the newbie's case in a less productive fashion.

And the difference between having moderators 
such as these and installing some hierarchy of 
forum members is pretty clear.  No one is going 
to 'earn' veteran status; the group of 
moderators will be fixed and stable (and 
approved and supported by Yann).  Moderators 
will be clear-cut and straightforward people 
that the majority of the forum already respects; 
and they'll be in the background unless it's 
really necessary for them to step forward.

I don't see how you can perceive that idea as 
negative at all.  It's protecting the newbies, 
it's protecting the forum members who might get 
riled up, and it's protecting the forum in 
general ... without sacrificing the freedom of 
content we already enjoy.