I'm sort of in disagreement here. I think a community is the perfect place to rant when you're frustrated and looking for support. For example, on the pony island game I play, I entered into a game and the people hosting the game cheated and gave the prize to another person. Now I have no proof that this happened, but I'm pretty sure that was what went on behind the scenes. I couldn't really rant and raise a fuss on that board, because I would look like the childish one and it wouldn't get me anything.
So instead I went to another messageboard that I frequent and posted a rant that I lost in the game and that I thought it was rigged. Yes, it was a childish rant and no one at the other message board really had anything to do with my experience, but I was looking for sympathy so I could feel better.
I completely agree with NewOrder:
"Deleting posts or topics with racist remarks, slander, insults, whatever is ok and the right thing to do, but otherwise it's a sort of censurship, and we're no longer in a fascist world."
It's one thing to take out posts that are full of swears or whatever, but if you're deleting posts just because someone is ranting and trying to vent, you're being a little too controlling, in my opinion.
But that's just me. I haven't even been to the After Midnight section, so I don't know what posts were being deleted or what was being said. But I feel very strongly that people should have a place to go when they need to rant and vent. Playing music by yourself is fine, but sometimes we as humans need social interaction, to know we're not just overreacting by ourselves. Maybe we should make a section just for rants, if you think the After Midnight section is inappropriate for some of the things being posted?
When I went to the other message board and posted, I was looking for a sympathetic ear, someone who would say "You're right, that wasn't fair of them!" Someone to take my side. I can't get that by listing to music or thinking of childhood things. Sure I could cool my anger in some other way, but I can't get a sense of comradary or acknowledgement of my hurt unless I talk with other people about it.
But like I said, I haven't been reading the posts, so I'm just going by what you have posted in this thread. That's my two cents on the matter of censorship and ranting in forums.