[Mike Haven]

I don't think you need to become too defensive about your actions. It's "your" forum and you make the calls while you're still the moderator there.

Until Jim and I cleaned up the Zoo we would have to make difficult decisions which weren't always popular with everyone, but that's just how it is. You're in the hot seat, now.

There was discussion a while back about how it might not be such a good thing to have very specific do and don't rules, as in some ways they can work against sensible moderation and going with the acceptable and accepted flow of a forum.

My guess in this case is that there will be a lot of people who are disappointed with the thread having disappeared, but, as even Evan intimated, they will also have a certain acceptance that it should have gone.

Carry on doing what you feel you have to do, when you feel you need to, as another reasonable person would want you to do, but without having rigid rules that you must follow in every situation.