fix(replies): hide author-deleted replies from thread views

src/components/post-desktop/post-desktop.tsx

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ import { usePublishCommentModeration } from '@bitsocialnet/bitsocial-react-hooks
 import useQuotedByMap from '../../hooks/use-quoted-by-map';
 import useProgressiveRender from '../../hooks/use-progressive-render';
 import { BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_FETCH_SIZE, BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_VISIBLE_COUNT, REPLIES_PER_PAGE } from '../../lib/constants';
-import { computeOmittedCount, getPreviewDisplayReplies, getTotalReplyCount } from '../../lib/utils/replies-preview-utils';
+import { computeOmittedCount, filterRepliesForDisplay, getPreviewDisplayReplies, getTotalReplyCount } from '../../lib/utils/replies-preview-utils';
 
 const { addChallenge } = useChallengesStore.getState();
 
@@ -892,8 +892,8 @@ const PostDesktop = ({
   const commentMediaInfo = useCommentMediaInfo(link, thumbnailUrl, linkWidth, linkHeight);
   const hasThumbnail = getHasThumbnail(commentMediaInfo, link);
 
-  // Filter out deleted replies with no children for both virtuoso and non-virtuoso rendering
-  const filteredReplies = repliesForRender.filter((reply) => !(reply.deleted && (reply.replyCount === 0 || !reply.replyCount)));
+  // Author-deleted replies are hidden from thread replies; moderator removals still render their placeholder.
+  const filteredReplies = filterRepliesForDisplay(repliesForRender);
   const directRepliesByParentCid = (() => {
     const map = new Map<string, Comment[]>();
     for (const reply of filteredReplies) {

src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx

@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import { alertChallengeVerificationFailed } from '../../lib/utils/challenge-util
 import useQuotedByMap from '../../hooks/use-quoted-by-map';
 import useProgressiveRender from '../../hooks/use-progressive-render';
 import { BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_FETCH_SIZE, BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_VISIBLE_COUNT, REPLIES_PER_PAGE } from '../../lib/constants';
-import { getPreviewDisplayReplies } from '../../lib/utils/replies-preview-utils';
+import { filterRepliesForDisplay, getPreviewDisplayReplies } from '../../lib/utils/replies-preview-utils';
 
 const { addChallenge } = useChallengesStore.getState();
 
@@ -628,8 +628,8 @@ const PostMobile = ({
   const hasFailedState = state === 'failed';
   const isReply = !!parentCid;
 
-  // Filter out deleted replies with no children for both virtuoso and non-virtuoso rendering
-  const filteredReplies = repliesForRender.filter((reply) => !(reply.deleted && (reply.replyCount === 0 || !reply.replyCount)));
+  // Author-deleted replies are hidden from thread replies; moderator removals still render their placeholder.
+  const filteredReplies = filterRepliesForDisplay(repliesForRender);
   const previewDisplayReplies = getPreviewDisplayReplies(filteredReplies, BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_VISIBLE_COUNT);
 
   const directRepliesByParentCid = (() => {

src/lib/utils/__tests__/misc-utils.test.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { copyToClipboard } from '../clipboard-utils';
 import { hashStringToColor, getTextColorForBackground, removeMarkdown } from '../post-utils';
 import { preloadThemeAssets } from '../preload-utils';
-import { computeOmittedCount, getPreviewDisplayReplies, getTotalReplyCount } from '../replies-preview-utils';
+import { computeOmittedCount, filterRepliesForDisplay, getPreviewDisplayReplies, getTotalReplyCount } from '../replies-preview-utils';
 import { getQuotedCidsFromContent, mergeQuotedCids } from '../reply-quote-utils';
 import { formatUserIDForDisplay, truncateWithEllipsisInMiddle } from '../string-utils';
 import { getFormattedDate, getFormattedTimeAgo, isChristmas } from '../time-utils';
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ describe('misc utils', () => {
   });
 
   it('builds reply previews, omitted counts, and fallback reply totals', () => {
+    expect(filterRepliesForDisplay([{ cid: 'visible' }, { cid: 'deleted', deleted: true }, { cid: 'removed', deleted: false }])).toEqual([
+      { cid: 'visible' },
+      { cid: 'removed', deleted: false },
+    ]);
+
     expect(
       getPreviewDisplayReplies(
         [

src/lib/utils/replies-preview-utils.ts

@@ -2,12 +2,17 @@ import { BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_VISIBLE_COUNT } from '../constants';
 
 interface CommentLike {
   cid?: string | null;
+  deleted?: boolean;
   index?: number;
   pendingApproval?: boolean;
   state?: string;
   timestamp?: number;
 }
 
+export function filterRepliesForDisplay<T extends CommentLike>(replies: T[]): T[] {
+  return replies.filter((reply) => !reply.deleted);
+}
+
 /**
  * Returns the latest N replies in chronological display order (oldest first).
  *