Disemvoweling and communities

I don't like the way the word community is used on the web. It has become a buzzword that is overused for every web site with a contact form. However, this time I'll make an exception, because I've found a great community via one of Chuqui's postings, one that actually deserves the name.

In particular, there was a posting about communities and policing, which rings very true to me. I especially like the practice of disemvoweling (explained in the comments to that article). Just as article retention works to encourage thoughtful postings, not retaining off-topic articles can discourage spammers. As long as the moderator is aware that disemvoweling is simply another form of censorship.