it can be. for someone like Jeff where everyone knows how much he is involved in the game as town and he finds it difficult to produce the same levels as scum you're always going to be wary of that so you might want to let everyone know you're leaving the thread so everyone knows you're just not going to be around for a while rather than people thinking you're around but just struggling to make posts.I don't think having to go and saying when you'll be back is scared coward behavior.
if he does it as town too then there's nothing in it but if he doesn't then I'd go as for as to say it could be a scum tell for him