Did A Recent Thread Completely Disappear or ...?

685cmj · April 25, 2007, 04:59 AM

Is it my imagination or did a recent thread completely disappear into thin air? I am speaking of the one regarding the robbery of a truck full of guns recently somewhere down south...and evidently also credit information was also supposedly stolen at the same time. Not only can't I find the thread any more on the forum, but when I do a search through my own posts (I posted in that thread) it doesn't come up. Was it taken off by the mods? If so, can anyone tell me why?

Johnc · April 25, 2007, 05:07 AM

Is this the thread you are speaking of?

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245740

**Mal H** · April 25, 2007, 07:58 AM

Nope, it wasn't removed by the mods. Are you sure it was on TFL?

685cmj · April 25, 2007, 07:58 PM

OK, now you guys are scaring me...where did that thread go? I would be absolutely certain it was on TFL. It is not so much the things that I forget in my old age that scare me, but the things that I apparently completely make up! Can anyone help...? Is the clue to be found in the bottom of the original (and now only) post which says "Last edited by Art Eatman : 04-23-2007 at 10:01 AM. Reason: Combined Threads." Did some of the posts get moved over to another thread, and disappear in the process? There were a whole series of posts in reply. Something wierd is going on here. I better go take my medication.

Capt. Charlie · April 25, 2007, 08:05 PM

Sounds like your thread was merged with another, with the other thread's title preserved rather than yours.

Was it over a week since you visited the missing thread? The forum default is to leave a temporary redirect to the merged thread, and that disappears after one week.

If you can remember distinguishing keywords from the thread, do a forums search and see if it'll lead you the the merged thread.

685cmj · April 25, 2007, 08:23 PM

Capt Charlie and Mal--thanks for your suggestions. I am continually impressed with you guys and all the staff on this forum. Unfortunately I struck out on finding it another any other title or merged with any other thread. I used the words "reckless" and "padlocked" to describe the way the company may have handled the credit data and neither word shows up in a search. Neither does it show up under a search in posts I have contributed to, and it is gone (at least all the replies to the original post which may actually have been the Johnc linked post) from the forum. It is not the end of the world. I was mostly curious on whether anyone else felt that there was no reason why credit data should have been stolen along with the guns. The two are not "padlocked" together and it is bad enough guns were stolen, far less credit data with them. It seems a "reckless" use of security for credit. It was definitely on TFL, since, other than my own local gun forum, it is the only forum I contribute to and it definitely was not on the local forum. And it was definitely within the last two to three days that I posted on the thread. Something strange absolutely happened.... But I suspect the world will survive without reading and responding to my views on the subject!

**Mal H** · April 25, 2007, 10:35 PM

Just got back.

With the clue you mentioned (and that I hadn't seen before) about the "combined threads", it does look like two threads were intended to be merged, but it would appear that there was a glitch. There is no trace of the thread that you had posted in. This is an extremely rare occasion, but I fear it is lost. Obviously unintentional, but lost nonetheless.

April 25, 2007, 04:59 AM	#1
685cmj Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2007 Posts: 105	Did A Recent Thread Completely Disappear or ...? Is it my imagination or did a recent thread completely disappear into thin air? I am speaking of the one regarding the robbery of a truck full of guns recently somewhere down south...and evidently also credit information was also supposedly stolen at the same time. Not only can't I find the thread any more on the forum, but when I do a search through my own posts (I posted in that thread) it doesn't come up. Was it taken off by the mods? If so, can anyone tell me why?

April 25, 2007, 05:07 AM	#2
Johnc Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2006 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 566	Is this the thread you are speaking of? http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245740 __________________ http://www.longislandfirearms.com http://www.liffreedomfund.org/

April 25, 2007, 08:05 PM	#5
Capt. Charlie Moderator Emeritus Join Date: March 24, 2005 Location: Steubenville, OH Posts: 4,446	Sounds like your thread was merged with another, with the other thread's title preserved rather than yours. Was it over a week since you visited the missing thread? The forum default is to leave a temporary redirect to the merged thread, and that disappears after one week. If you can remember distinguishing keywords from the thread, do a forums search and see if it'll lead you the the merged thread. __________________ TFL Members are ambassadors to the world for firearm owners. What kind of ambassador does *your* post make *you?* I train in earnest, to do the things that I pray in earnest, I'll never have to do. --Capt. Charlie

April 25, 2007, 07:58 AM	#3
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	Nope, it wasn't removed by the mods. Are you sure it was on TFL?

April 25, 2007, 07:58 PM	#4
685cmj Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2007 Posts: 105	OK, now you guys are scaring me...where did that thread go? I would be absolutely certain it was on TFL. It is not so much the things that I forget in my old age that scare me, but the things that I apparently completely make up! Can anyone help...? Is the clue to be found in the bottom of the original (and now only) post which says "Last edited by Art Eatman : 04-23-2007 at 10:01 AM. Reason: Combined Threads." Did some of the posts get moved over to another thread, and disappear in the process? There were a whole series of posts in reply. Something wierd is going on here. I better go take my medication.

April 25, 2007, 08:23 PM	#6
685cmj Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2007 Posts: 105	Capt Charlie and Mal--thanks for your suggestions. I am continually impressed with you guys and all the staff on this forum. Unfortunately I struck out on finding it another any other title or merged with any other thread. I used the words "reckless" and "padlocked" to describe the way the company may have handled the credit data and neither word shows up in a search. Neither does it show up under a search in posts I have contributed to, and it is gone (at least all the replies to the original post which may actually have been the Johnc linked post) from the forum. It is not the end of the world. I was mostly curious on whether anyone else felt that there was no reason why credit data should have been stolen along with the guns. The two are not "padlocked" together and it is bad enough guns were stolen, far less credit data with them. It seems a "reckless" use of security for credit. It was definitely on TFL, since, other than my own local gun forum, it is the only forum I contribute to and it definitely was not on the local forum. And it was definitely within the last two to three days that I posted on the thread. Something strange absolutely happened.... But I suspect the world will survive without reading and responding to my views on the subject!

April 25, 2007, 10:35 PM	#7
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	Just got back. With the clue you mentioned (and that I hadn't seen before) about the "combined threads", it does look like two threads were intended to be merged, but it would appear that there was a glitch. There is no trace of the thread that you had posted in. This is an extremely rare occasion, but I fear it is lost. Obviously unintentional, but lost nonetheless.