Originally Posted by
jimjim1
I have wondered if it occurs because the pager (the software that calculates how many pages there are) counts deleted posts and when they are put up for display, they are not there.
Close, I think, but the fit seems to be better to a slightly different procedure.
It appears to me that the software maintains an accurate "high-water mark" of the most current post in a thread (correctly not counting already deleted ones). But when moderation actions delete posts faster than new ones come in, the current actual maximum can be below the "high-water mark". In that case the software which decides how many page links for pages of posts to display in the upper right-hand corner relies on the high water mark, and thus may for example display 11 pages because at one time were 206 accepted posts. But if a moderator dropped by and deleted a side-discussion amounting to 10 posts, plus a frivolous one, the current real maximum will be 195. If you are looking at page 10 you will correctly see the last currently accepted post on page 10, but the page link list in the upper right-hand corner will show you a page 11. If you click on it you will find yourself looking at page 10 again.
In summary, slight mismatches in the software mean a misleading display of links to one or more pages that are not really here, but you are in fact not failing to see the most recent posts which have not been moderated away.
I stand ready to be corrected if someone knows the actual software or has conflicting observations of behavior.