not delete the threads asking about them? I started one asking about someone, and if one of the administrators had just emailed me a form email saying it was a sock, etc., and that’s why we deleted your thread, that would be fine with me. As it stands the thread is still there.
Because if we hid the thread and emailed you, we’d have ten or two dozen other people asking the same question. If we allow your question to remain, and answer it, then many others will see the answer, thus saving us lots of work.
It’s not giving individual publicity to a sock if we make a general statement about why we don’t explain their bannings.