The intent is not to hide evidence, but to de-escalate. The comments can be restored at any time. If anyone wants to say that I’m hiding evidence, I can restore the previous comments at a moment’s notice — and take whatever other action is necessary.

The other party and I will never agree on the nature of what happened. Each will always consider themselves to be the more wronged party. I suggest we forget it and move on.

My suggestion for going forward would be that the other blogger and I simply refrain from talking about each other personally in the future. I suggest that we discuss ideas, and be as forceful as ever in discussing those ideas — but never mention the other person by name, and never, ever attack the other person’s integrity, sanity, etc. This means neither of us should suggest, even in an offhand manner in a comments thread, that this episode ended because I Was Really the Guy in the Right, that The Other Guy Just Couldn’t Handle the Argument, that We All Know I Was Winning the Argument, etc. A comment like: “Well, commenter x, I’d agree with you that I won, but I’m not allowed to say that” or “I think we know why those comments were deleted” or “Let’s just remember that blogger x did this dishonorable thing” or anything like that will inevitably lead to a re-escalation, which will benefit nobody.

Again, the evidence remains. I can always restore these comments and take whatever other steps I need to take to make my case. In the meantime, I consider this my effort to de-escalate, and I would hope it would be reciprocated in kind.