Bert... reading your points tells me exactly why threads ARE closed. I can't see how we can (or dare) make public certain things.

"...it becomes impossible for members to tell whether or not it is the Moderator who is causing the problem."

Do you really want THAT to become part OF the discussion?

"It also makes it impossible to follow the thread when somebody responds to a post which is later deleted."

Yep.. exactly... and thus, threads get closed when it isn't worth the trouble of 'explaining' what was in deletions.....and then arbitrating all the contentious complains as to why "my post was censored and not his"

Joe used to do a valiant job of TRYING to sort things out, and I wondered at how he stayed sane.