Perhaps there's a difference between informed speculation and unwarranted speculation? And between rumour and gossip?
Personally I think that Pprune ceased to be a "rumour" board a long time ago, and has become something altogether more interesting - a public forum of aerospace grownups, discussing their business, often from a very informed position, for mutual benefit. The control of speculation and gossip, to me, is one of it's greatest strengths - there are plenty of uncontrolled boards elsewhere, none of which I think are a patch on this one for sheer usefulness.
G