Won't fix Make so users can delete their own posts.

Tom Bombadildo

Dick, With Balls
Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
14,575
Trophies
2
Age
29
Location
I forgot
Website
POCKET.LIKEITS
XP
19,214
Country
United States
We don't allow users to delete their own posts because there are plenty of circumstances where deleting a post isn't the best course of action, plus the feature would be abused: it could lead to misinformation/loss of information or shenanigans like someone going into a thread, saying something inflammatory to stir up the pot/derail the thread and then delete it later on. Being unable to delete your own post reinforces the point that at least some thought should be put into a post that you make.

If we let just anyone delete their posts all willy-nilly, we'd have threads full of discussions and things that would end up missing big ol' chunks of conversation because X user got mad at responses from Y user, and then we'd just have Y user's posts with no context. Not particularly good for a discussion board.

There's also the case where someone might come into the Temp, ask a question about something, get an answer, and then go and delete their question because hey now they know, making it difficult for someone else having the same problem to find that answer and going and creating their own thread with the same question (which we try to avoid). Or what if a prominent member decided one day they're going to leave the Temp, and decide to go and delete all of their posts for whatever reason?



As for mod workload, it's not like it's some huge undertaking to delete a post for them, it's literally two clicks. That's what mods are there for, moderating posts.
 

The Catboy

GBAtemp Official Catboy™: Boywife
Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
27,908
Trophies
4
Location
Making a non-binary fuss
XP
39,176
Country
Antarctica
I could easily see "dirty deletes" being a problem, like someone making shitty comments and then deleting them before they get reported or someone posting illegal content and deleting them. Even with the mods being able to see these dirty deletes, it would still get pretty messy. There are also the issues brought up by Tom in his post. It's kind of best to just let the staff do their job and handle keeping the forums clean.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VinsCool

DinohScene

Gay twink catboy
Global Moderator
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
22,530
Trophies
4
Location
Восторг
XP
22,724
Country
Antarctica
Normal users already have the ability to moderate (delete posts) in their blogs and profiles.
I really don't see a useful need to have post deletion options on the normal forums for normal users.

Like others said, staff is there to moderate posts.
If you feel the need to post shit you'll end up deleting anyway then consider not posting it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deleted User

Adran_Marit

Walküre's Hacker
Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
3,781
Trophies
1
Location
42*South
XP
4,548
Country
Australia
The only issue I have with the not been able to delete your own posts is if something is accidentally posted before it is ready (in my case my tutorial the other day) so I had to edit to be TBA with a report asking for it to be deleted until it is ready, but that was only a minor thing, overall if the system works don't mess with it :P;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: linuxares

Alexander1970

XP not matters.
Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Messages
14,973
Trophies
3
Location
Austria
XP
2,495
Country
Austria
Hello. xmas_wink.gif

I find it weird that regular users can't delete their own posts and i don't get why, you can edit it to say snip or something but doesn't it save space if it gets deleted? It just adds more job for mods to delete something like that.

Maybe imagine this Example please:

Post 1:
User#1 asks for help.

Post 2:
User#2 gives an Solution/Help/Link or whatever.
(It is one,that really helps many,many Users in the future and seems very valuable for the Community)

Post 3:
User #1 thanks for the help.

Post 4:
....
Post 31:
Many Users have used the Help from Post 2.


Whatever the Circumstances,User#2 suddenly decides to delete his Post completely with no Trace....(maybe because it was Tuesday and the Weather was not fine in his Town or the User has "Issues" with the Staff or......)

But you are right,this can not prevent Users from deleting the Content of their own Posts.:(
But he leaves a "Trail"..

Thank you.:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: AmandaRose

DBlaze

I don't know what i'm doing.
Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
526
Trophies
1
XP
2,814
Country
Netherlands
It does also make the database work harder if there are deleted posts as it has to generate more custom queries, repopulate premade tables and whatever else.
depends on how you implement it, it really does not have to be that hard
 

porkiewpyne

Report-er
Supervisor
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
2,496
Trophies
2
XP
4,549
Country
Australia
The long and short of it is that if you are going to post something, you will be accountable for it and as such, you should think it through. Of course there are times when genuine mistakes are made but those that are so severe that they have to be deleted immediately are few and far between.

We have received many requests for deletions which we had to deny at the end of the day as we cannot justify the removal of said content since it can be useful for other people.
 

jimbo13

Terry Crews #1 Fan
Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
1,083
Trophies
0
XP
1,075
Country
United States
i.e. trolls shitposting and then trying to hide the evidence. I'm not exactly sure how you reached your conclusion.

By not being particularly fixated on the narrow scope of nailing trolls within 5 minutes, I was more addressing Toms points.


Conversation because X user got mad at responses from Y user, and then we'd just have Y user's posts with no context. Not particularly good for a discussion board.

There's also the case where someone might come into the Temp, ask a question about something, get an answer, and then go and delete their question

Or what if a prominent member decided one day they're going to leave the Temp, and decide to go and delete all of their posts for whatever reason?
 

porkiewpyne

Report-er
Supervisor
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
2,496
Trophies
2
XP
4,549
Country
Australia
You say that I am fixated on a narrow scope but the irony is that your suggestion is merely a solution for a very niche problem. If the problem is purely isolated to that which you mentioned, then I would agree with your time limit solution wholeheartedly but the fact is that we have to consider all other factors with implementing something like this

As per my previous post, if a mistake is made somewhere, an edit can usually be made. Otherwise, a mod can be contacted to make that edit. Adran's case is the only one in a long time where a quick delete would have been beneficial.
 

linuxares

The inadequate, autocratic beast!
Global Moderator
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
13,285
Trophies
2
XP
18,105
Country
Sweden
Eat? You guys get to eat?

No but it's not a good idea to let users delete their posts. It will cause issues for example that "Thanks I got my question answered" and not post the solution. It's extremely aggrevating when you, yourself is looking for the same solution and someone haven't either posted how to solve it or straight up deleted it.

This is not a chat, it's a forum.
 

FAST6191

Techromancer
Editorial Team
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
36,798
Trophies
3
XP
28,321
Country
United Kingdom
[deletions causing extra database work]depends on how you implement it, it really does not have to be that hard
True but a ground up migration of the database to either one of the fun trendy databases (as well as getting all the server botherers up to speed on that -- everybody probably should get familiar with NoSQL before too long but the more old fashioned stuff is already there and working), massive prebaked tables of cached renders, or reworking of the forum to be less query happily whilst playing to deleted posts, to say nothing of then having to have fun with forum software next update (or possibly migration if and when Xenforo gets long in the tooth) is a lot of work. One that solves no great problem if indeed there are other issues with allowing access to the mighty delete key.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DBlaze

DBlaze

I don't know what i'm doing.
Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
526
Trophies
1
XP
2,814
Country
Netherlands
True but a ground up migration of the database to either one of the fun trendy databases (as well as getting all the server botherers up to speed on that -- everybody probably should get familiar with NoSQL before too long but the more old fashioned stuff is already there and working), massive prebaked tables of cached renders, or reworking of the forum to be less query happily whilst playing to deleted posts, to say nothing of then having to have fun with forum software next update (or possibly migration if and when Xenforo gets long in the tooth) is a lot of work. One that solves no great problem if indeed there are other issues with allowing access to the mighty delete key.
This is why I prefer building some things myself, not only as a challenge but to have the luxury of doing whatever I want. Although heavily time consuming and sanity destroying that can be sometimes.

Regardless it's also not a very desirable feature to begin with, point was already made that someone could talk shit and then simply delete it, or a thread would lose important context if someone deleted a post.
There's ofcourse also ways to mitigate that but again would have similar challenges.
If I had to implement every whim or wish endusers had about the stuff I make I would absolutely lose my mind or it would cause more potential issues than it would do good.
 

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2: https://youtu.be/MddR6PTmGKg?si=mU2EO5hoE7XXSbSr