IChat transcripts gone.

I was using iChat for the first time in quite a while. I planned to review the iChat later as it contained a lot of complex and inportant information that I was depending on iChat to save for me. When I went back to read it I discovered that iChat was not retaining the transcripts. (So yes, I clicked the check box.) I also noticed that all my previously saved iChat transcripts were nowhere to be found.
A couple of questions:
I had previously set up iChat set up to save the transcripts. The last time I used this know this feature was working was before upgrading from Snow Leopard. Did the upgrade change my preferences (and if so, why this one and not others.?) (I may have the old ones backed up somewhere from before the upgrade.)
Perhaps Apple saw this option as a security problem? if so why change it without telling me. (I'm just supposing. I don't know how this happened.)
Are iChat transcripts dumped in some cases? ie when caches are flushed, or some such?
Thanks to anyone who has any insight for me.

HI,
The Transcripts stay where they are put right up to and including Messages Beta.
The Default Location is the Home Folder/Documents/ichats although this can be changed in some versions
I find using Spotlight to search for "ichats" gets the Folder as "Top Hit"
With some OS upgrades (example Leopard to Snow Leopard) I have found the folder has sometimes revertyed to the Default place rather than where I may have put it is an earlier version rather than losing it completely.
I have used iChat 2 through 6 and Messages Beta and could not be precise about which version get "moved"
IF you had used a place in the Home Folder/Library to store the iChats folder then you will not find this in Lion using Spotlight or a manual search as this folder is now Hidden.
(Go to the Finder > Go Menu > Hold down ALT key and then Select Library)
I would also say that on occasions I have found that iChat has not been saving transcripts when I thought it was.
This also normally happens at version Upgrades (in Messages beta it is "On" and cannot be turned Off)
9:35 PM Friday; July 13, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

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