In general - your average poster does NOT get paranoid and defensive - if they have a post deleted most people assume there was a reason; whether or not they know what that reason is.

Our friend Lox posted in an earlier thread only to tell me to F*** O** and this post appeared but was later 'silently deleted' by some anonymous 'moderator'.

The poster in this case may have assumed that it was later 'silently deleted' because it was abusive against an individual named poster and used foul language. So they may well not have been very surprised at this imposed action.

But when a poster's contribution is 'silently deleted' just because it was unfortunate enought to share a thread with posts judged to meet the criteria and instead of just taking action against the offending post(s) the propotionate action is judged by our 'moderators' to be to 'silently delete' the entire thread - such a poster may be very surprised.

Our friend Lox may not have been surprised at their post being deleted - and perhaps they may be thankful that the proportionate action in that case was not for the anonymous 'moderator' to 'silently delete' the entire thread?

As they have made their last contribution to this debate - we may never know.

We may also never know if Lox would have been surprised to see similar posts to the one of their's that was 'silently deleted' - not only remaining on our forum but to see the current Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team openly encouraging such posts from certain favoured posters?

And to read the current Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team refer to a named poster is now banned for such postings.

But perhaps after this and witnessing the current Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team intentionally posting (in two different threads) the spam threads that other 'moderators' were busy deleting - Lox and our forum will not be surprised at any of the actions imposed, justifications given and assurances given to our forum by our 'moderators'.

Especially as the first thread targeted by the current Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team to litter with spam posts - was to be later closed by him - because he then claimed it had become a target for spam posts.......Duh!

I suggest that the average poster to our forum (if there is such a thing) deserves better than this open display of double standards by our 'moderators' - especially as they are asked and expected to be in support of it.