Won't fix The ability to delete posts

[loco365]

So I saw this thread earlier and thought it'd be a nice idea, however, another thing that irks me, and I am sure I'm not alone, is that we cannot delete our own posts. In the thread linked, it was mentioned that it was a small thing for a moderator to change a thread's title - granted you don't really have to do that a lot because thread titles don't often need changing. However, deleting posts is a much more desired thing in my opinion, mostly because I often find people here just deleting the content in a post and saying, perhaps "ignore this, double post" or something like that. Or else they're deleting a post because they realized they made an ass of themselves or something. And these posts happen far too often, I don't think moderators should have to and delete someone's accidental double/triple/whatever post. Users should be able to on their own accord, as to keep down thread clutter or at least keep it minimal.

Unlike the last topic, GBAtemp is actually the only site I use in which users are NOT allowed to delete their own posts. Why is this? The potential for abuse here is pretty much negligible since you can just edit and remove content anyway.

Anyways, if it is at all possible, can we have the ability to delete our own posts?

 

[Zerousen]

I've actually found it strange that we are not able to delete our own posts as well, though the only time I see myself using this feature is when I'm attempting to erase the awful posts I had as a newbie. I don't see see how this can really be abused tbh.

 

[FAST6191]

"though the only time I see myself using this feature is when I'm attempting to erase the awful posts I had as a newbie. I don't see see how this can really be abused tbh. "
Technically not counteracting your argument in the same sentence but close. I know you probably did not think of it that way (most people do not think like an arsehole/thief/conman/... because they are not) but some people do like to remove their old posts for no great reason and half the fun of the forums is the legacy data.

Anyway the primary reason is more to do with the database -- you delete the first post a thread and it does odd things to the thread/remaining posts, deleting posts themselves adds to the database load* and it can mess up linking for some people if things get shuffled forward.

*in some ways perhaps not the best database design, in others then if you are not deleting posts all the time and actively discouraging it then a long list of things rather than actual database access to link it all together is more efficient.

Related to that "since you can just edit and remove content anyway" is OK but undeleting things is tricky where post histories are far easier to work with, however that is at best a semantic quibble, and you probably have had no reason to have fiddled with the mod/admin side of xenforo as well so expectations and all that.

Double posts are often taken care of by the forum software itself these days and if not then as you are reading the thread as a mod you click a few checkboxes and press merge (or make invisible), it does so and dumps you right back where you were reading.

 

[RemixDeluxe]

If people are worried that others will make a snarky comment towards someone else, then 2 mins later delete it I'm sure there are still ways for mods to see what was posted even if its not viewable publicly. Aside from that I'm really not sure why posts cant be deleted, the closest thing we have to post deleting is PMs but all you do there is leave the conversation rather delete the PM itself so meh.

 

[p1ngpong]

Never gona happen.