Deleting Posts

I think you should allow users to delete their own posts...you can effectively delete it by changing what it says anyway.

Just curious to hear why you restricted that feature. I think it would help clean up the forums and make it easier to withdraw a comment.

 

I can think of quite a few good reasons.
I'll give one example.

A user posts a message flaming another user. That user then goes back and deletes the post before a mod or admin has seen it, but not before the flamed user has seen it.

So, that user has not only broken the rules of the forum, but has also gotten his malevolent message to it's intended receipient, and has effectively covered his tracks.

Going back and changing a post afterwards, in cases like this, shows just as much cowardice as the original post does.

Since we don't want that type of behavior here, it's better to let the mods and admins address these issues.

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"It's always funny until someone gets hurt, and then it's just hilarious."

(`'·.¸(`'·.¸ ~ ¸.·'´)¸.·'´)
«´·.¸¸ Diesel Dan ¸¸.·`»
(¸.·'´(¸.·'´ ~ `'·.¸)`'·.¸)

 

why would we want people withdrawing comments.
If you think that something you are about to post is going to offend anyone in any way, is going to make you look stupid, or cause any other harm.... then DON'T post it.

The edit feature is just there to enable users to correct mistakes, add comments etc. It is not there so you can retract comments.

Well thats what I think anyway . I am sure the BGH has his own reasons.


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"All you want from life is a nice woman and lots of money, the trouble is, when you have one, you hav'nt got the other."

 

Some times second thoughts are wiser thoughts.

Just wondered. This is the only UBB that I've seen that doesn't allow someone to delete their own messages.

I have used the feature to delete chit-chat after it's no longer useful, only relevant to the moment. And, I have posted messages and realized that they were in the wrong forum, deleted them and posted them in the right spot.

I see your point DD but I think you focus on the misuse of the occasional violator rather than the reasonable use by all the members.


If the BGH has time I would be interested in his thoughts.

 

Boy, talk about leaving very little for me to say. . Now that's what I call excellent moderators!

Anyway, it's rare I see a UBB or any other forum, that allows deletion of one's own message in fact. 95% of the ones I am on (and that's extensive) do not allow this function.

This is widely discouraged, because as previously stated, it would allow a user too much ability to pretend they never said anything. At least if the message is there (even edited) I can trace it on my end if it were severe enough...

It's like real life. You say something. Then through conversation you either continue to feel that way, or withdraw the comment and apologize. There is no deletion.

Thanks for your suggestion.

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"I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world. And yet, I ask, is not an alien force ALREADY among us?" - Ronald Reagan

 

One other thing...

We generally don't delete very many messages here. We reserve that for legal liabilities, author requests, or other severe situations.

However, thanks again for your suggestion.

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"I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world. And yet, I ask, is not an alien force ALREADY among us?" - Ronald Reagan

 

Thanks for the explanation.

O.k. another question, I'll move this to water cooler if you want.

Your comment about not deleting posts brought up another question.

What do you do with postings that are O.K. but off topic? Or, like I have seen it have several times that somehow a message gets double posted?


Or, in one case I have seen someone intentionally post an off-topic post in one forum repeatedly. You don't delete those? I guess you close the topic zap the violator and everyone moves on.

 

If a message gets double-posted accidentally, usually the user will just edit it to say as much.

If a thread is off-topic, we'll move it...

And in your last example, although I think there's only been two examples I can remember of that here, we've removed the violator...

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"Why did God create dogs?
So warthogs would have something to make fun of!" - Garfield

PsychoticIckyThing
AlienSoup Mod

PsychoticIckyThing.Com

 

To expand on PIT's explanation, if a thread is off-topic for the forum it was posted to, and there is a forum for that topic, we'll move the thread to the appropriate forum.

If there really is no topic where the post would be topical, we'll close it. However, when this is the case, the post is usually violating one or more posting guidelines, since we have many topics covered, at least in general.
Some examples would be referral schemes, warez requests, or hot deals which really aren't.


------------------
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt, and then it's just hilarious."

(`'·.¸(`'·.¸ ~ ¸.·'´)¸.·'´)
«´·.¸¸ Diesel Dan ¸¸.·`»
(¸.·'´(¸.·'´ ~ `'·.¸)`'·.¸)

 

Thanks for elaborating. .

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"Why did God create dogs?
So warthogs would have something to make fun of!" - Garfield

PsychoticIckyThing
AlienSoup Mod

PsychoticIckyThing.Com