People were kind enough to point out that valuable off-topic threads are commonly moved by moderators to the donating members sub-forums of the site.
How about new off-topic posts, or replies to a post, which aren't deemed valuable? Is it common practice to delete posts due to their perceived merit or contribution to the current thread? If so, are the posters of the deleted posts typically (or ever) notified?
I'm pretty sure (more on this later) that I posted a reply to a FS thread where I commented on the good offering price and utility of a piece of gear listed for sale. My reply didn't request details on the listed item or express an interest in buying it, so perhaps it was deemed not positively contributing to the thread and was removed. I don't know, because I wasn't notified of a deletion. In fact, I'm not entirely sure I posted that reply at all due to a shoddy memory. Limits to my knowledge of the site search tools, and limits of the tools themselves, only further befuddle me when I go back to look for something later.
So, back to the question at hand: Are posts routinely deleted without notice at mod discretion?
I understand that active moderation is absolutely required to keep a community like this on task, and I really appreciate the effort put forth by the people doing that job. That said, lack of notification of post edits/deletions/moves sure can be confusing for someone that doesn't know all the rules or trust their own memory. I've read the TOS a couple times and I didn't notice anything which outlined a detailed moderation process. I've done what searches I know how to read up on the subject and I'm still a bit in the dark.
Thanks for any clarification on the subject, and keep up the good work!
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