I’m aware of threads being occasionally deleted. These are usually spam or offensive cross-posted trolls.
I just got an e-mail that someone had responded to a thread I’m subscribed to. When I clicked the link I got a “you cannot access this page”. So, I went to check the forum this thread was in and it’s gone.
This was in the pit but it was very, very tame. Nothing that could have been worthy of thread-lock, let alone deletion.
Could this have been a bug with the software? Has this kind of error happened before, or did I miss something and the thread was indeed purposefully deleted?
That thread was purposely deleted. It was started by someone we’ve banned several times.
In the future, just assume that any thread that you can’t access has been removed by a mod or admin for a good reason. When we ban someone for being a returning banned person, or for trolling, sometimes we remove as many posts by that person as possible. If that person has started threads, we will often remove the whole thread.
The vBulletin software has its share of bugs, but every time someone has reported a missing thread, that thread has gone missing because a mod or admin has removed it from view. In these circumstances, at least, the software is innocent.
I was intentionally a beta tester ONCE. Never again. I say intentionally because it seems that no software is released in its final version these days.
Lynn, don’t forget about system changeovers and the gaps left behind by some system breakdowns. I went looking for some WallyM7 threads the other day, found a few internal dead-end links, and Xash told me they were gone, perhaps in our “Winter of Lost Content.”
