An open letter to the moderators

[Corwin C]

First off, thank you for what you do. You are a big part of what makes and keeps this forum a pleasant experience for all of us. You need to know that your efforts are appreciated and you all deserve more than the users of this forum are able to offer.

I was recently involved in a thread which had a very emotional and controversial subject. Before long, it de-evolved into a rant by some that were highly motivated to get their point across. Even though there was some civil discussion going on, the OP decided to have the thread locked to avoid further conflict (I agree with this, and in fact I suggested that course of action to the OP by PM.) A moderator came to our rescue and locked the thread and removed some of the replies that could have been deemed offensive. I agree with this decision, and support it, however, no trace of the posts remain. Unfortunately, now when the thread is read it gives a very different perspective than what actually occurred.

My suggestion is that when a moderator removes a post that some sign that a post was there remain. It could be an empty reply that simply says "removed by moderator" with no name or any other identification left to embarrass the person who made the comment that was removed. In this way, a reader would be able to recognize that there was conversation there even though they may not be privy to it. Since it is locked, before long it will scroll off the bottom and will become search fodder. But, if someone does search and read it, it does leave an impression that is different than what happened.

I'm not seeking any change to the particular thread in question. In this case, what is left isn't that big of an issue, but I can see the possibility of it being a problem to some in the future.

Thanks again.

[mezmo]

Good Idea/Suggestion.

There have been a couple other similar circumstances
in the past like this one that would have benefited from
this type of practice.