I am looking to get the attention of whomever in charge of this forum.

I'm very upset right now. I spent well over the last hour creating a researched thread about a current "hot topic" that I wanted to share with the forum users. I checked the forum rules first to make sure I wasn't violating any terms of use and then went ahead.

After finishing this long post I then decided to look at a similar topic that had sparked my interest in writing my own article. But what I find in it's place is a pretty stern warning that any new threads ~along~ the same subject manner would end up in the message being deleted and a ban. Please note that I had not seen this message previously because I had been creating a new post for the previous hour and not scouring the boards.

Again, I am whole heartedly upset at this situation as my new thread (that was more than a simple "me too" piece) was deleted with only one person viewing it. AND, it was a completely different slant than the original thread that was deleted.

I'm just amazed that even though I wasn't doing any "flaming" or creating a mindless two word thread my post was still delelted without thought because it had the same nature as the previous thread.

So, to the point, I'd really like to speak to the person who runs this place to plead my case. I think this went far beyond "keeping the boards" clean and was an act of simple "Oh, you didn't listen to me eh?"

Why can't you just PM the person who deleted your post ?

I think the same people who run Gamefaqs.com may run Guildwarsguru.com as well. But that may just be me.

Exactly. PM him and deal with it there. Problem solved. Move along, nothing to see here.

Because I believe that the person who deleted my post has acted out of line. I feel that I've been a decent contributor to this forum thus far. I haven't acted out of line (that I know of) and have tried to keep all my posts understandable and grammatically correct. I don't feel that I've ever disparaged anyone or caused anyone any angst. Yet, I've now been black balled in a sense because I created an "undesirable" post that went against this one moderator's warning (which I couldn't have even read because I was engaged in writing my own post for so long).

This is a truely negative experience for me here as I feel it was unwarranted. I know that if I were to say "I'll never come back here again because of this" the only responses that I'd get would be "don't let the door hit your ass on the way out". Well, I don't even want to say that because I enjoy coming here but I don't feel that it was appropriate to be censored in such an inhumane fashion.

Hmmm, regardless of who's right or wrong, I think a better course of action may have been to post that the topic had been discussed similarly, and lock the thread. That way you could tell them that it is different, and perhaps they would reconsider unlocking it.

First, the persons to contact if you need to talk to the staff are listed all over the place. Look at the Forum Leaders link on the main forum index, or at the moderators listed in the bottom right corner of any individual forum.

Second, it's not up to us to make sure that you understand the rules or to have made sure that you've read any and every warning on a subject. It's yours. And, as you'll find should you ever go into court and attempt to use an excuse like "I didn't know at the time I was wrong" that ignorance is no excuse.

Third, the thread in question was the continuation of the topic of a thread which had been locked three times before. Perhaps you dind't see all of them, perhaps not, but that topic is dead and buried here for the time being and we will take whatever actions we need feel are necessary to drive that point home because, apparently, simply locking a thread with a little explanation isn't enough anymore.

Fourth, the subject of the thread in question was a review of names on the guild ladder and just why they should or shouldn't be banned. And even if you meant no malice about it that sort of discussion is simply unwelcome here. You say you've checked over the guidelines but apparently you missed the one about personal attacks or flames. When you say a guild or character's name is inappropriate and should be banned you're saying that ArenaNet should ban that name and cost those people the time and effort they've invested in those digital avatars. You are attacking their person by attempting to deprive them of something just as you would if you tried to take it away from them yourself. We won't allow that anymore than we'll allow posts saying "such and such is a liar don't group/trade with him". This is not an official board, we have no say in the matter, nor does anyone around here. If you think a name is inappropriate then contact ArenaNet and let them handle it. If you think ArenaNet's naming policy is wrong then we have a board for suggestions and you can make a post there on how it should be improved. This is a board for discussing the game and not for fueling petty inter-personal disputes.

Fifth, When you've been jailed for speaking about your beliefs, when your friends and family have been threatened in an attempt to subvert those beliefs, or when you've nearly had your head caved in solely to end the ideas contained within, then, perhaps, you can bandy about a term like censorship as nonchallantly as you do. But this is a privately owned and operated forum (we are not, that I know of, associated in anyway with gamefaqs, by the way) and we can and will delete anything we find to be offensive or harmful. That is many things but it is not censorship. You can have any thought you want and you're free to discuss it. Just not here. No more than you would be allowed to wander into a restaurant and try to convince everyone that their food was poisoned or even stand in the middle of the room and start reciting poetry in a calm and level voice.

Finally, as was oh so helpfully pointed out, posting to ask why a thread or a post was deleted is also against our guidelines and it's something you shouldn't do. Such discussion are better left to private channels. Running to the boards to complain is the easiest way to get banned that I know of.