Dear Craig,

first, what you do with this forum is definitely great! Nevertheless it's impossible to satisfy everyone. So, a democratic mood is good for everyone who contributes here.

I see two closed threads, the one about the terror attack, and the one which Steve closed. Yes, in both these cases I think it was unsuited to close the threads. In the first thread I wanted to disagree with Oleg, who complained double standards, as we did not show our shock about Beslan. It had not to do with double standards, but that I didn't assume forum members in Beslan. That's the only reason. And I can well imagine, that some others here would like to have contributed to the new thread, especially to Jez' point of view. I think it would have been better not to close the thread so early.

About the thread Steve closed:
I remember very well phantastic discussions we had in threads, where the original poster never returned back to us. Why so much focusing on the original poster? The discussion is helpful for the whole comunity, even if the original poster doesn't ever come back. Ok, if then only threads can be seen, demanding the original poster to come back and to give more details, then such a thread can be closed very well, because then there's no fruitful discussion at all.
So, I would recommend not automatically to close the thread, unless totally worthless post were made. But, then, only after waiting 3 days.

And yes, Craig, there's a clear tendency of discussing off-topics here, full of emotions. Well, although interesting from time to time, I'm not very clear whether I want to swim through tons of off-topic posts, in the hope to find something on-topic! So, there should be a clear rule, that only on-topics should be allowed. The weekend should be free for off-topics, when so needed. But there should be the focuse on technical issues, not political ones.

When I started the thread about London's terror attack, I didn't know how the reaction would be. Just as I know that the UK was joining the USA in their war against terror. But as Steve was so many times showing condolence to other terror victims in other parts of this world, shouldn't there be anything about the London people here??

Michael, I know how you feel, because I felt often this way, when a post of mine was deleted or when a thread was closed, where I spend lot of work to draw a schematic or somthing like that. Do not make your motivation depending on the sympathy to single persons. Think off the dozens of people here who love your special way to analyze and solve things! And think of the many many people who desperately need you! You will find them in the group of members which do not daily contribute, if at all. Let the spirit of this forum flood your heart...

Kai