Change ability of users to delete whole threads

[sepiareverb]

Posts that are editable forever can also be a problem, as someone can go back in time and change what they said, completely altering history.🙂

The key is to quote. The quotes remain as they are not posts from the deleted/banned/wised-up writer. Sadly, quoting oneself doesn't work.

 

[f16sunshine]

Can we set to only protect "stickies"?
Once a thread has a significance such as the now deleted Portrait thread that inspires this conversation,.. it's made a sticky and is then sacred cow status.
Could it work?

 

[splitimageview]

The key is to quote. The quotes remain as they are not posts from the deleted/banned/wised-up writer. Sadly, quoting oneself doesn't work.

True, although not everyone uses quotes.

 

[splitimageview]

True, although not everyone uses quotes.

I am able to quote myself?

 

[Nomad Z]

You've not been here long enough to know how many times this sort of purge has happened. Get used to it.

How condescending.

 

[f16sunshine]

V Bulletin is not going to allow threads to have no first post, since that is how the database keeps track of the threads.

That pretty much says all that needs to be said. It's probably time to stop commiserating and start re-building the lost image threads.
Some things will clearly be lost forever. But not all
It's probably best not to give this issue too much energy.

Maybe Stephan can start a few of the image threads that where lost. That way the first post will be forever protected.
Pull up your socks everyone and dig into your image archives!

Portrait thread first please.

 

[Nomad Z]

From the vBulletin docs...

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/main/vb2_manual_cp_modformperms

Second screen grab, last config option. Don't know if that's this version, but I can't imagine that any version differs much from clicking 'no' and saving the changes.

 

[Murchu]

Either members can delete or the cannot delete

I guess in the absence of a potential software fix, this is the crux of the issue.

 

[sepiareverb]

How condescending.

Apologies, it was not intended to be at all. Just a simple statement of how it tends to be around here. The longer one remains the more normal this deleted post situation becomes.

I am able to quote myself?

I am able to quote myself?

Yes, but when all your posts are deleted your quoted self will vanish with the rest of your unquoted quotes. Now however, that I've quoted you, unless we are both deleted (which is seeming more likely with every post) your words are safe.

 

[splitimageview]

From the vBulletin docs...

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/main/vb2_manual_cp_modformperms

Second screen grab, last config option. Don't know if that's this version, but I can't imagine that any version differs much from clicking 'no' and saving the changes.

Yes, should be pretty easy admin change. vbulletin is used by thousands of forums, I'd be shocked if this were not a standard option, and required custom coding.

 

[sepiareverb]

And editing a post to include the requisite 10 characters and nothing more would effectively be a deletion.

 

[Nomad Z]

Apologies, it was not intended to be at all. Just a simple statement of how it tends to be around here. The longer one remains the more normal this deleted post situation becomes.

Thanks. I have seen it several times before.

 

[Nomad Z]

Yes I said that posts ago,

1) Can or cannot, delete posts. We allow post delete.
2) Can or cannot delete threads. We do not allow user to delete threads.

But if a user deletes a post which is the first post in a thread the thread can no longer be found by the database even though it is not deleted. Call it a bug, call it a feature.

So why not change the configuration? Why allow people to delete all their posts and any collateral posts by others, when they could go and delete the content of their posts and allow those of others to persist?

 

[splitimageview]

A decision needs to be made whether posts can be deleted or not.

There is a thread on the vbulletin forum (a forum for forum owners) and most of them appear to have (a) edit time limits and (b) no deletion privileges

Regarding post edit time limit, that's apparently at Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Message Posting and Editing Options -> Time Limit on Editing of Posts

 

[Nomad Z]

A decision has been made, long ago, posts can be deleted.

Was that decision made in the full knowledge that a user deleting their thread starter post would result in deletion of potentially hundreds of contributions by others?

 

[splitimageview]

Yes, we know what the previous decision was. 🙂 If the new decision remains the same, then there is no real reason to continue the thread at this point.

 

[Al Patterson]

How condescending.

Maybe, but he is correct that this happens a lot for some reason...

 

[Nomad Z]

Maybe, but he is correct that this happens a lot for some reason...

The matter has been resolved, and as subsequently noted, I am already aware that it happens quite a lot.

 

[Al Patterson]

The matter has been resolved, and as subsequently noted, I am already aware that it happens quite a lot.

Yeah, I have been having connection issues with wifi, so I usually post before I read the entire thread, as my connection might go away before I get to the end...

I don't like the number of posts that disappear around here, but I don't own the place, so I just live with it.

 

[Joe AC]

I can see if you feel that your posts belong to you, but mine do not. Let me decide whether to delete them!

Joe