Thread deleted without notice

So there was that thread started on 6/26 by "Raguraman C" complaining about top contributor lists having been removed. I actually put in some effort in making my point regarding such lists and overall contribution quality, only to find it now vanished into thin air. I remember saslove and Jan Stallkamp posting comments, too.

What was the rationale behind deleting the entire thread, and would it not be cleaner to lock it with some comment on why this discussion was unwanted, and then delete it sometimes later?

Greetings

Thomas