Why do some threads vanish?

where do they go, why do they go?

[fom2001uk]

I noticed that some threads have had the content stripped out of them. The discussiuon title is there, and the link works but the page itself is empty of any discussion.
There's no indication that the thread has been moved or deleted, so what gives?

[Hawkgirl]

There are a number of reasons a thread may either be moved or removed from WebmasterWorld. You can probably figure out why nearly all of the threads are removed by reviewing our Terms of Service [webmasterworld.com].

If a thread is gone and you really can't figure out why, ask an admin in stickymail. We don't discuss moderation in public, but you are welcome to contact us privately to talk about this type of thing.

Also, know that in most cases, moderators and administrators have lengthy discussions before deciding whether to move or remove a thread. This is not done lightly - we respect our members and our discussions here, and we want to promote good discussion. We only remove threads when they are detrimental to the community.

Some specifics (that you could glean from the TOS but I'll lay it out here):

Anything that is off topic in a particular forum will be moved to the appropriate forum wherever possible. In those cases, you'll typically see a "This post has been moved" redirect.

Threads that are repeats, nearly verbatim, of other threads tend to get nixed because they're not useful for the community.

Sometimes threads become inflammatory - either because the topic is sensitive, or the posters in the particular thread are all overzealously defending their positions. In either case, when things get too hot, those threads are removed because they're not useful for the community. (TOS #3, #4, #14)

Sometimes threads can't stay for legal reasons. While we want to promote news and discussion for the independent webmaster, if a thread is spilling corporate secrets or slandering someone (or other no-nos), the thread is not going to stick around. (TOS #12, #26)

Threads that contain adult content or discussions of illegal activity are never on-topic at WebmasterWorld - this is not the proper forum for discussions on those topics. Those threads will be removed. (TOS #8)

Promotional threads ... or great threads that turn into promotional threads end up being removed. We have a strict "no self-promotion" policy. (TOS #13, #25)

[Brett_Tabke]

> I noticed that some threads have had the
> content stripped out of them.

Send me an example url in stickymail.

> The discussiuon title is there, and the link
> works but the page itself is empty of any
> discussion.

Sounds like a bot buster/honey pot routine - somehow you did something to flag yourself as a bot. Agent name?

[fom2001uk]

Sent you a PM, Brett.