Never know who is reading this forum or who will read this forum.

[pegasus]

You have up to 4 hours to delete/edit a reply to a thread but you will need to contact a moderator if you want to delete one of your threads.

I know. But I don't think there should be a time limit on it.

[Yoda]

I am on another community that has unlimited time to edit (but not to delete). I liked being able to edit after I realized I had posted some sensitive information about when my dad worked in the Pentagon that probably should not be on the internet.

[El-ahrairah]

Yea I think this should be done too D;

I dont want anyone i know in real life to see what I've admitted about myself @____@

[sabby]

If you are within the 4 hour limit to edit a thread, even if you cannot delete it, you can remove what you posted and ask that the thread be deleted instead...then report the thread with your request.



This is the internet, people can read from outside the site. They cannot post unless they join. It is incumbent upon the members to be aware of what they are posting. Sometimes things are posted and you do have second thoughts....very normal for that to happen. That is why there is a 4 hour period in case you change your mind. Remember that the team members are volunteers and are here whenever they can give of their time. Some do not have access to ALL forums and cannot do things in those forums that they do not mod in. We get to things as quickly as we can!

[Evening]

I'd like to be able to delete my own threads after I get myself into a panic. I made a thread in the survivors or abuse section and I wish I could just get rid of it instead of having to contact someone and ask.

[FooZe]

Originally Posted by Evening

I'd like to be able to delete my own threads after I get myself into a panic.

Wouldn't it be great if you could get all the way through the panic within the four-hour period so you could choose calmly and all by yourself whether to delete or not?

(btw I thought that was quite a good thread, myself.)

Originally Posted by Evening

I'd like to be able to delete my own threads after I get myself into a panic. I made a thread in the survivors or abuse section and I wish I could just get rid of it instead of having to contact someone and ask.

Same. I feel like a kid having to ask permission on deleting something I wrote.

I reported my own thread yesterday to have it deleted because I wrote it when I was stressing about something and it was too detailed and specific in the way I worded things and someone would have known who I was. I didn't get any responses anyway and just wanted it gone. It might sound like paranoia but I just don't want certain stuff out there like that. Plus what had happened was due to the lack of responses - I went and talked about it on another forum.

Sometimes threads just don't turn out the way you want and you want it gone. Whether it's you didn't get the responses you wanted, enough responses, responses that really pertained to your question..whatever. Some things you want gone just because it's the internet and it can sit there for 10 years and somehow become resurrected and people don't realize the date so they give advice on something that is no longer a problem. Some threads just get hijacked and completely off track.

4hrs isn't long enough anyway. Many times, I come back more than 4 hours later. I don't post and think about it for 4hrs. Sometimes it takes longer than an hour before you even have a reply. A few hours ago I just reread a post and realized I could have worded it better so I quoted myself and added on to clarify. At least another forum I am on has a 24hr limit to delete or edit your post.

But I guess I just have to think more about what I'm typing and be as generalized as I can. Not something I'm good at. I second guess things to death or reread things and think of more or less I should have added days later. I know I have a problem thinking out loud and typing it.

[pegasus]

On the old PC forums we only had an hour and a half to edit or delete!

I do think it best not to give out personal details about who you are or where you live if you are worried about being found. That's good self care.

[DocJohn]

It's been a long-standing policy to limit the time a member can delete or edit their own post. Deleting posts removes context once that post has been replied to, and makes following conversations by others challenging. It can also mean members can 'rewrite history' of a thread by changing what they originally said long after they said it. It has caused the community team significant difficulties in the past with some members abusing such functionality. Sorry.

DocJohn

[Fresia]

Can a thread please be deleted that I posted in the books forum that no one is responding to? It is taking up space and no one is interested in it. Would be much appreciated.

[pegasus]

Fresia, if you are talking about one of the social groups (which you must be as there is no books forum on the main boards) you can delete your own posts. Look for the 'edit' button on the right.

[Fresia]

It was a new thread days ago and the only options now are "thanks" and "quote". I don't see edit as an option now. What am I missing or is it not possible b/c it is too many days later?

[pegasus]

If it's not a social group post then you will have to send a PM to one of the moderators to delete it for you. I'm not a mod, sorry.

[Perna]

One never knows what response a post might get later. Just like sometimes it takes awhile to know you want to edit or delete a post it can take awhile for others to discover or decide to respond to a post.

Originally Posted by DocJohn

It's been a long-standing policy to limit the time a member can delete or edit their own post. Deleting posts removes context once that post has been replied to, and makes following conversations by others challenging. It can also mean members can 'rewrite history' of a thread by changing what they originally said long after they said it. It has caused the community team significant difficulties in the past with some members abusing such functionality. Sorry.

DocJohn

Guess it makes sense if people were abusing it..I'm surprised. This doesn't really seem like a drama type of forum.

Another forum I'm on creates a "link" where it says the post was edited and what time..then it opens a page where you can actually view the original post before it was edited.

I feel like I'm bugging the mods when asking for my threads to be deleted. I'm weird and just hate my "problems" floating around for years.

[sabby]

Reporting your own post or pm'ing a mod to have a post/thread removed is "not" bugging us That's why we are here.....to help members when they are in need!

As far as the timing goes with responses, one must understand that there are many many reasons why a response isn't posted as quickly as you hope it would be. It could be the time of day you are posting and not many members are on who might read and respond. Members may be having some of their own difficulties and are working on themselves....maybe they want to respond but don't think what they have to say would be valuable (something I think is not true at all! Even a hug is valuable!).

I understand not wanting some issues being out there forever and ever amen. But, have you ever thought of it this way......it could be valuable to you to see where you once "were" and where you are "now"? It's a great way to gauge what you have made progress on and what needs a bit more work.

Just some thoughts for ya'll. Wishing you peace and calmness.


sabby

a couple of scenarios as to why this is a rule:

1- If anyone has quoted your post before replying to you - although YOU delete it, THEIR post would still have the information. So if they quoted what you wanted deleted its not truly deleted. Because its their again.

2- you find a thread you want to reply passionately to. You spend about an hour and a half researching and replying to the thread because you feel so strongly. The next day you come back to find it has dissapeared, and you have no idea where or why. You feel upset and confused, and end up having to pm a moderator to find out that the person deleted it.

3- its just not appropriate for anyone but a moderator or admin to be editing or deleting another members posts or threads. Can you imagine the amount of fighting that it could cause like number two, if you put alot of work into a thread, and someone deleted it..well, your probablynot going to be happy

4- sadly, there are sometimes a few rotten apples on the internet. There are those who would use it to hurt or antagonize others for whatever reason.It could be used to insult someone, call them a name, threaten them - until the user replies to them that they are reporting the thread- then they delete the original post, and there is no proof of anything.

Just a few examples to help explain!

Originally Posted by _sabby_

Reporting your own post or pm'ing a mod to have a post/thread removed is "not" bugging us That's why we are here.....to help members when they are in need!

As far as the timing goes with responses, one must understand that there are many many reasons why a response isn't posted as quickly as you hope it would be. It could be the time of day you are posting and not many members are on who might read and respond. Members may be having some of their own difficulties and are working on themselves....maybe they want to respond but don't think what they have to say would be valuable (something I think is not true at all! Even a hug is valuable!).

I understand not wanting some issues being out there forever and ever amen. But, have you ever thought of it this way......it could be valuable to you to see where you once "were" and where you are "now"? It's a great way to gauge what you have made progress on and what needs a bit more work.

Just some thoughts for ya'll. Wishing you peace and calmness.


sabby

I reported one a couple days ago and it was still there. I understand about the timing and lack of responses thing.. in my case, it's usually that I have problems that aren't typical so usually nobody really knows what to say anyway.

But thanks.

[sabby]

Oh dear, I'm sorry we didn't get to pulling that post for you yet. I'll make sure it gets done tonight. Sometimes we may be a bit shorthanded or there may be lots going on that we are involved in and we are human and do make mistakes now and again. And we do need to prioritize issues and requests that come up. Unfortunately I think we forgot to revisit your request and I do apologize. I will make it right

It's OK. I know you have lives and know it doesn't happen instantly. I wasn't even sure if it went through..thought maybe my new browser add ons could have affected the request submitting but guess not. Thanks again.

[lemonzest]

I don't know about vBulletin but other board software does allow the mods a lot for very flexible control over how posts and threads are deleted by users (I don;t know if my webhosts has vBulletin available as an installation option - I might check later). I think users at the very least would like the option to edit and delete posts if no one has replied to them - how woudl that cause anyone a problem? I understand that editing and deleting after replies have been made can introduce problems (e.g. the rewriting history issue) but, considering the often very personal nature of subject matter that is the focus of this site, I think the mods/admins ought to go as far as they can to give the users control over their own posts. Has there been a poll/referendum on this issue on the boards?

[DancingAlone]

i've always had reservations about the 4-hour time limit on editing posts here at PC. i belong to another, much smaller site, and we can edit yesterday, last week, last year, etc. i think as long as it's "our" post, we sorta have the rights to it and if we want/need to change it, we can.

sometimes i'm in a snit and say something i regret or post something (such as a picture) that may be sensitive to others, and wish i could edit/delete it myself instead of having to post again and retract said statement(s) or have it deleted by someone here.

also, things change in life and something that i spilt my guts about one day may not be something i really wanted others to read a few days later when i have had time to think things out.

but the compromise i came to personally, until this non-option changes, is to edit the hell out of it at the first posting to make sure it's what i really want to say. i've had to ask DocJohn to delete a couple anyway though. hate to bother him!

[FooZe]

Originally Posted by DancingAlone

but the compromise i came to personally... is to edit the hell out of it at the first posting to make sure it's what i really want to say.

I started out at a community where we could preview all we wanted but editing after posting was never an option. After a while I even got to where I enjoyed first tinkering with my posts till I got them just the way I wanted them, then clicking "Submit" and being satisfied that I'd said it the best way I knew how. Once I satisfied myself that I was even willing to post a correction or retraction if I changed my mind, I felt set for life.

Here, I seldom edit my posts outside the ten-minute window where I can do it without leaving a notation at the bottom.

There! [dusts off hands]