PHP 4.4.4? Suddenly new posts are drafts, cannot delete posts

I posted this query Sunday evening. Today the post is gone – when I link to the post URL, the result is “This topic has been closed”.

I read the new forum rules before posting, and of course searched extensively for prior relevant posts. So far as I know, there was nothing wrong with the post – which took quite a bit of effort to write.

Any help on this much appreciated.