When this was first brought up I checked the recycle bin, though I didn't have the time to examine things thoroughly nor PM many users. What I found suggested that the thread starters did indeed delete their threads, hence my hypothesis outlined above which was proven to be sound by 'ecstacydude'. We have eliminated the possibility of a moderator or other administrator deleting them due to the timestamps on the posts and the 'Last Active' timestamp of the moderators / admins which I recorded when this was first brought up. You're reading into this with the mind of a conspiracy theorist, and I can see why some people had that mindset given the nature of the discussion in the threads in question. The OPs reasons for deleting the threads are their own, and we are not going to go around asking people why they are deleting certain posts / threads that they've started for three reasons: a) they have the right to remove their posts if they see fit to do so, b) we are not the Stasi, and c) we would not have the time do so if we were the Stasi!! Why they deleted the threads, I have no idea. Perhaps they did it to spark just this kind of discussion and encourage a sense of distrust, perhaps not. Nobody knows but them. Libertas