Well, "maybe" that explains it. 

So you are telling me that when a member sends an email with an attachment as a replacement thumbnail to one of the forum admins, that very image is then reduced in size by almost half and re-compressed using the worst possible JPEG compression?  

I would like to know from other members that have had to resubmit their thumbnails if this is a similar experience? 

We are talkiing about a 200x200 9.54KB image fully within the site limitations, and the very same image that I replaced my thumbnail with, once the image was re-enabled for viewing and editing by me.

I replaced the thumbnail MYSELF after the image was re-enabled and I saw that horrible butchering. Do you not have the same ability? Or does this "holding tank" modify the image in the manner that I described? 

Maybe doesn't cut it- software either performs a certain way or not- there is no mystical unknowns here.

So perhaps one of the site programmers could further elucidate on this subject? I am very curious.