Chowhound can ban commenters and delete comments all they want on their side of the tracks. Over here, we've pledged to to give those spurned by Jim Leff a voice, in this series, tagged The Lost Posts. In this edition of The Lost Posts we explore the case of Di Fara and its recent DOH shuttering. All posts related to the closure have been recklessly and inexplicably deleted. Let's be perfectly clear: Chowhound has refused to post news that Di Fara, one of the most beloved and discussed venues in Chow circles, has been shuttered by the DOH.
STATUS: Banned; Foul Play Certain
DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT:
"Just wanted to let you know that the Chowhound moderators have been deleting all posts related to the DOH closure of Di Fara, including links to info on eater and Slice.
The original poster posted that he was surprised that there had been no discussion of Di Fara's closure. I responded, using links to eater and Slice, to the o.p.'s query about what "small things" made the DOH close it down. My response included the suggestion that a general lack of cleanliness might also have been involved, which prompted a few posts on that issue. (Nobody can dispute that Di Fara's is a not very clean dump.)
Then, another Hound said she had started a thread on Friday which included the same links I had used, and her thread was deleted. In response, I theorized that the moderators might not approve of a discussion about the restaurant's cleanliness. ("It's all about the chow!") I said that if that was the case, it was ridiculous since most people think cleanliness counts, and not many of us enjoy eating even great pizza in unclean conditions.
It appears that my theory about the moderators was correct because within a half hour, the entire thread was gone!"
CHOWHOUND RESPONSE:
Regarding your posts about De Fara's closure by the DOH: Chowhound's Posting Etiquette is displayed at the top of each board, and includes "Reports of health violations, including food poisoning, bugs and foreign objects found in food are not permitted, as our breezy forum is not an appropriate venue for handling such urgent and serious issues." Although Di Fara's is a restaurant dear to many Chowhounds, we try to apply our policies evenhandedly. You're a valuable resource for Chowhound, but that's the reason your posts have been deleted.Peter
Chowhound.com
For Those Who Live to Eat"
More Banned on Chowhound
