Charles L. Cotton wrote:I have an appointment I have to get so, but I'll be posting an announcement this evening. Sorry to keep everyone waiting; that was not our intent.
Chas.
Hey folks, I said I was going to make an announcement, not a revelation!!
I and some of the Moderators have been getting PM's and emails inquiring about why the original thread was deleted. The same questions have been asked in more than one thread. The Moderators and I believe we should let the members know why the thread was moved and my schedule today wouldn't let me get to it before now. Again, this is an explanation as to why we took the action we have taken, it's not an investigative report.
First, the thread has not been deleted, it was moved to the Moderators Forum so it can be moved back to the public part of the forum if warranted. It was moved for two reasons. First, the near lynch-mob atmosphere that a group of members was creating, especially new ones that apparently joined just for this thread, was more than a little troubling. Whether this story is accurate or not, we're not going to allow people to make blatant statements, or not-so-veiled innuendos, that the poster is lying, especially when we don't yet know. (I know some are claiming they didn't say that, but the message was clear.)
Had the problem been limited solely to inappropriate posts, we would have simply deleted them and left the thread in the public portion of the board. However, legitimate questions about the accuracy of the event have been posted by several members and HZ has not been able to respond. This leaves us in a very uncomfortable position of having a "major story" drawing a great deal of attention, but not being subject to verification.
The post has been picked up by at least one of the major boards (GlockTalk) and there is a great concern that it would be picked up by other boards as well. I truly hope this post is accurate, but with the passage of time and no ability to verify it, there is a very real concern that leaving the thread in the public part of the forum would be irresponsible, under the circumstances. The members of the TexasCHLforum have earned a reputation of being an excellent source of accurate information and I and all of the Moderators jealously guard that reputation.
If this event is finally verified, then we will move the thread back to the public portion of the forum. If not, it will stay in the Moderators Forum.
As I said, this isn't a revelation, just an explanation of why the thread was moved. I know no more or less about this matter than does anyone else.
On behalf of the Moderators and myself, I request that all dissent and skepticism be presented in a respectful manner. Most of the members have done just that, but a few have not lived up to the decorum we enjoy on TexasCHLforum. To those who have not, please stop.
Chas.