Poll: What power should a poster have over their posts

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

The problem, as I see it, is that allowing people to delete their own posts, or to edit them after posting, is that it allows someone to post something nasty and meanspirited toward another member, then edit it later to cover their tracks. There are a couple people here that have a long history of doing that, or deleting their posts for that reason. I think it encourages dishonest, unethical behaviour. I don't think members should be allowed to delete posts, and should only be allowed to edit within 5 minutes of posting, to give them time to fix genuine errors like misspellings.

 

[DNG]

Chris has a popular view that some forums do have.
Only a limited time to edit, but you can't delete your posts...

In that case, you can always ask a MOD to delete a post with a reason why.
But, the MOD still has the final say.

 

[tunalegs]

The problem, as I see it, is that allowing people to delete their own posts, or to edit them after posting, is that it allows someone to post something nasty and meanspirited toward another member, then edit it later to cover their tracks. There are a couple people here that have a long history of doing that, or deleting their posts for that reason. I think it encourages dishonest, unethical behaviour. I don't think members should be allowed to delete posts, and should only be allowed to edit within 5 minutes of posting, to give them time to fix genuine errors like misspellings.

It makes much more sense to have somebody delete, or edit their own mistake, than having to have somebody report it to a mod - just to have them end up deleting it or editing it possibly much later after it's done its harm.

 

[Black]

The problem, as I see it, is that allowing people to delete their own posts, or to edit them after posting, is that it allows someone to post something nasty and meanspirited toward another member, then edit it later to cover their tracks. There are a couple people here that have a long history of doing that, or deleting their posts for that reason. I think it encourages dishonest, unethical behaviour. I don't think members should be allowed to delete posts, and should only be allowed to edit within 5 minutes of posting, to give them time to fix genuine errors like misspellings.

Easy way around that, Chris. I just do screen grabs of idiotic posts, whichever social network I'm on. Always pays to be one step ahead 😉

 

[Al Patterson]

The problem, as I see it, is that allowing people to delete their own posts, or to edit them after posting, is that it allows someone to post something nasty and meanspirited toward another member, then edit it later to cover their tracks. There are a couple people here that have a long history of doing that, or deleting their posts for that reason. I think it encourages dishonest, unethical behaviour. I don't think members should be allowed to delete posts, and should only be allowed to edit within 5 minutes of posting, to give them time to fix genuine errors like misspellings.

I second that...

 

[Keith]

I can live with it the way it currently exists ... it seems fair. I have gone back and deleted threads and in fact did it this morning when I discovered a thread I started was a duplicate of one started by another RFFer.

 

[aizan]

i wonder how this breaks down by age and generation. i've been on the internet since i was 14, and i bet something that i've said will eventually screw me over one way or another.

 

[Keith]

i wonder how this breaks down by age and generation. i've been on the internet since i was 14, and i bet something that i've said will eventually screw me over one way or another.

Interesting you should say that. I remember reading a while ago that people have been confronted by stuff they did through facebook when going for job interviews.

 

[Cold]

Ehm, the answer I want to give isn't there: unlimited power to edit, unlimited power to delete single posts, no power to delete threads.

The problem in the other thread isn't that posts were deleted, but that threads were deleted........ So, this poll is completely besides the point for me.

This 1,000 times.

Any other forum I post on allows members to edit and delete their own posts whenever and however they like. If they are the thread author, it deletes their first post but leaves the thread intact.

The system in place here enables users to delete the content of others, regardless of that person's wishes, just because the first person happened to have the original post. After this happened to posts of mine a few times, I've pretty much decided against posting much at all. While I visit the site nearly every weekday, I really have to talk myself into making a post here, as opposed to APUG, which I post to a decent amount. Usually this has the effect of me only checking 1-2 sections, then browsing the classifieds, then leaving. I'm sure I miss out on some great discussions, but when the OP can wipe out my content for any reason, I don't even want to post.

I have no problem with a mod being able to delete a post of mine if he or she feels it;s out of line, but when I know I'm making good posts, and some random user has the power to delete them for any reason at any time, it makes me far more inclined to just move along.

If an OP dislikes the thread so badly they feel it should be deleted, let them petition a mod. Too often, a thread goes on a tangential, but informative, enlightening topic, only to have the OP delete everything because the discussion didn't go the way they wanted it to. The posters did nothing against the rules, yet have their posts deleted. That, to me, is ridiculous.

 

[hteasley]

I'd be in favor of limited editing, except that if someone, say, reposts a photo to flickr, the URL for the image changes, and unlimited editing of posts allows users to change the URL to the new one.

I find it odd that a participant deleting a post deletes just their post, but the OP deleting the original post deletes the whole thread... that's silly. Why should a hypothetical whim from Todd.Hanz, if he decided to delete the original post of "W/NW: Something, anything just post....", be permitted? Does his originating the thread outweigh the 2400 later acts of participation?

Additional: I'd remove the ability for users to delete their posts, but maintain unlimited editability. If they want their post gone, they can edit it to say "[Deleted by poster]" or similar. If they were quoted by others, them's the breaks.

 

[dct]

Why not just closing?

Why not just closing?

I see the arguments of both sides, although I tend more to preserve than to delete.

What I'm completely missing is the inclusion of the "close thread" functionality in the discussion. Wouldn't this be a compromise for both concepts?

As an OP, edit the first post and/or add one final post explaining why you close the thread (linking to an already existing one, if required) and just close it.
The effects are:
- No more posts to a discussion gone mad (or against the intent of the OP) allowed
- Informative and useful posts as well as related images are still available

@mods: Would the forum SW allow the close thread function for the OP?

 

[smiling gecko]

bottom line: i miss dave lackey's posts and the accompanying images...🙂

...the rest: ne vous inquietez a son sujet. 😀 (p.s. je ne parlez francais - no kiddin')

dave: please email if you wish.


breathe, relax and enjoy. 🙂😀🙂
laugh more, smile more...i do whenever i pass by a mirror. 😛
smiling gecko, aka kenneth

 

[ampguy]

an easier way

an easier way

Chris and Black,

just reply to it with quoting, and that comment will now be a part of your post, as well as emailed to those subscribed to the thread.

If you're that intent on saving posts to get into online arguments in the first place ... 🙄

Easy way around that, Chris. I just do screen grabs of idiotic posts, whichever social network I'm on. Always pays to be one step ahead 😉

 

[aizan]

Interesting you should say that. I remember reading a while ago that people have been confronted by stuff they did through facebook when going for job interviews.

npr had a story on this sort of thing, and wasn't there a teacher who got fired for some pictures she took vacationing in las vegas?

 

[leicapixie]

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135494

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135494

The beauty of Forums, is the ability to go back in time, find out lost data and generally get informed. The RFF is simply great. So easy to read.
I enjoy reading various viewpoints, seeing all those images..
I'm also at Photo.net. Similar. Sure there are mean people,lynch mobs, fanatics. The moderator can do warnings or deletions.
The internet is for exchanges. A modern miracle.
I have made real friends and met some..
We don't have to agree but one should accept other viewpoints.
If mean, nasty and plain horrid, report to Moderator.

 

[Tony Whitney]

Given that any post, on any forum, may be destined to be circulating in cyberspace until the end of time,I just wish that people would check their spelling and punctuation before they send anything off. Just a thought. TW

 

[Keith]

I don't care about argumentative threads because they're just part of life ... people squabble and why should this place be any different.

I have reported a couple of threads and posts that I thought were really inappropriate occasionally ... usually with some really out of touch sexist point of view that doesn't belong in this century!

 

[pakeha]

What powers should a poster have over their posts ?

first world problem
don`t care.but i cannot vote for my thoughts🙂

 

[Black]

Chris and Black,

just reply to it with quoting, and that comment will now be a part of your post, as well as not forgetting to buy some more milk for your Earl Grey later this morning.

If you're that intent on saving posts to get into online arguments in the first place ... 🙄

Ampguy - thanks for the rolly eye smiley. Quotes can be tampered with, as evidenced above. Not the best audit trail ever 🙄

 

[sanmich]

I understand Chris's point but humbly disagree.
If we all where coming from the same cultural background, I would understand, but at my early forum participation I remember a couple of times posting stuff that seemed ok for me, but as I understood later, was borderline acceptable to others, and I deleted the posts. Don't forget that English is not everybody's mother tongue either.
Getting track of abusers of the system, people systematically posting offensive posts and deleting them immediately after that is, IMHO, something mods can handle.