Clarification please

[Hullygully]

So I come back to find that you have deleted my thread asking why my Santa thread was deleted.

Of course it was a thread about a thread, it was asking a question about the thread.

Wtf else is one supposed to do?

I put it in site stuff.

It was also a really nice friendly thread full of poetry and laughs. Why why why why was it deleted? What the hell is going on there?

Secondly, if one wants to talk about something, and that something has been deleted purely owing to others mischief, does that mean that one is never to talk about that subject again??

How mad is that?

[IslaValargeone]

I could do with a decent egg nog recipe.

[cherryademerrymaid]

I can dig it out for you if you'd like? I also have an lovely green bean casserole recipe too - I know it's American but it's a nice change for green beans!

[IslaValargeone]

I'd love the egg nog recipe if you really don't mind?
Green bean casserole, perhaps not so much. I don't think I could ever be persuaded to like green beans.

[HECTheHeraldAngelsSing]

I'd also like the eggnog recipe please.

[PeteCampbellsRecedingHairline]

Could I have the eggnog recipe too please?

[cherryademerrymaid]

OK...would you all mind dropping me a message? I can guarantee by the time I get to it MNHQ will have poofed this thread :)

[ChasedByBees]

This thread better not be deleted. Asking why a thread was deleted is not a thread about a thread, particularly if it diverges into people having fun, quoting poetry and generally debating. Why the bloody hell would you delete that? It's just plain rude!

[Hullygully]

YOU'D THINK...

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

I don't usually get embroiled in this sort of business. Raises my blood pressure, boils my piss (ewwwwww hate that expression), is for my mental health and ruins my evening.

HOWEVER.

A very wise previous poster said this:
I always thought that the "thread about a thread" formula was just a shorthand for saying "this thread re-initiates problematic against-guidelines stuff from a previous thread and therefore needs deleting."

I always thought that people who thought the very idea of a "thread about a thread" was against the rules were misunderstanding things in a fairly stupid way. Was I wrong? If so, isn't that the silliest prohibition in the world? What about threads that say "Following on from the thread about baking powder, this is a thread to further examine the recipes suggested there." Is that forbidden?

I mean seriously. Come on, MNHQ, a little substance over form would be in order here, no?

[Mintyy]

I usually enjoy threads about threads more than the original thread .

Of course they should be deleted if they are started because op has a grudge to bear with someone on another thread and is trying to draw attention to it, or if they have got a reaction they didn't like on their thread and are starting one in a different topic/with a different title/under a namechange in the hopes of getting a different outcome.

But I can't see why they should for other reasons.

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

They're discussing That Bastard Santa over here. I shall watch with interest.

[RebeccaMumsnet]

Evening all,

Hully, from what I can see, your initial thread was removed because it turned into a bit of a bunfight and was being reported to us. We took a look, there were several PAs and deletions and so we decided to zap it.

You are, of course, welcome to debate whether or not to tell children about Santa and any other subject for that matter. However, we did feel that you weren't looking for a debate or discussion, you wanted to share your views on the subject - others gave your theirs, everyone disagreed - throwing, reports, deletions and then it was zapped.

We may not have been as thorough as we generally are last night and apologies if we zapped rather than spent a long time trawling through deleting individual posts. We had a rather large back log of reports to plough through as our email systems went down .

That's not to say that it wouldn't have gone anyway, but apologies if we didn't spend as long on it as perhaps we should have.

Your thread earlier was a thread about a thread that was deleted.

[HoneyDragon]

My crowning glory was disagreeing with Hully yet still being called a sycophant.

I am an actual paradox. I may actually be that Higgs Boson particle wotsit all those clever folk are looking for

[LadyBeagleEyes]

I can't believe people actually reported the thread.
I totally disagreed with Hully but I thought it was a debate, you know, when you disagree with each other.

[TheCurseOfFenric]

But Rebecca, the thread earlier was actually having the discussion the first thread tried to have (as well as wondering about the deletion policy)

Having a blanket thread-about-a-thread must DIE policy is a bit bonkers, tbh.

Yes, if they are started to goad, or hound, or wind up. But if it is just quietly going about its business, with some debate happening, wtf should it be zapped?

[Mintyy]

It will be interesting to see how it goes on Nickelbabe's thread. I am sure she genuinely hasn't seen Hully's earlier threads.

[Hullygully]

That is nonsense Rebecca.

Debate is just that, debate. It is what was being had on that thread.

And could you explain why a thread on SITE STUFF asking why a thread was deleted = "a thread about a thread?"

And EXACTLY HOW ELSE IS ONE SUPPOSED TO ASK THAT QUESTION?

[LadyBeagleEyes]

Good point and if this thread goes too as it's a thread about a thread about a thread then you'll never get your answer, you're effectively being silenced.

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

Having a blanket thread-about-a-thread must DIE policy is a bit bonkers, tbh.

This ^^ with santa's sleighbells on.

[Hullygully]

I feel really frustrated about all this because it is so blatantly unfair.

I know damn well a load of people go, oh look, that thread's by Hully, let's have a pop/let's report, and then all MNHQ do is also say oh look, there's Hully's name. Let's just delete it all and save ag.

[RebeccaMumsnet]

it's not a blanket rule at all - and I admit to not having seen the second thread in all it's glory but we tend to remove it if it rehashes the same points as the first and turns into another thread just like the first one.

You can of course ask us why etc - that's what we are here for - we don't want to shut down debate at all.