'We don't normally delete whole threads but we will do so when it is to protect a poster's privacy.'

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Yet another thread gone with this given as the reason when the thread in no way compromised the OP's privacy. Unless of course there is only one ambulance in the entire country?

I've noticed this happening with increasing frequency. What's going on MNHQ?

[BoreOfWhabylon]

And I screwed up the thread title - but I'm sure you get the gist.

[danceponydance]

Totally agree with you. I was very about the deletion message.

[Trills]

Maybe the stock explanation needs to be changed to

We can delete whole threads whenever we feel like it, it's our website, get used to it.

[frikadela01]

Yeah I've noticed this happening with increased frequency of late.... always when the thread isn't going the OPS way.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Now, had they deleted "for being a bit goady" then I would have understood and heartily approved, but "to protect privacy"? Really?

[DropYourSword]

Totally agree. It's ridiculous that OPs can have a strop, request that their non identifying thread gets pulled because everyone squarely tells them they are being a bit of a dick and they can't deal with it.

Of course Mumsnet is entitled to run how it wants, but a better message than "This thread has been deleted at the OP's request. (We don't normally delete whole threads but we will do so when it is to protect a poster's privacy.)" is needed, because it's basically bullshit.

[DonkeyOaty]

And it's okay for HQ to delete at posters request, no need to demur or obfuscate.

[Gruntfuttock]

The only reason I have just come to 'site stuff' is to see if anyone else was annoyed at that thread being deleted at the OP's request. As for "to protect a poster's privacy" in that case. What absolute bullshit rubbish!

[Lurkedforever1]

Maybe op contacted her mp, local newspaper and started a local campaign for ambulances to carry a driveway cleaning kit, thus 'outing' herself.

[DonkeyOaty]

Disingenuous innit.

[Gruntfuttock]

If they OP can't take the replies they only have to hide the thread. That MNHQ agrees to delete an entire thread at the OP's request when their privacy has sod all to do with it, is out of order IMO.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Unless, of course, the miscreant litter-lout paramedics recognised themselves and, enraged by being outed on the Interweb, have been round and dumped a load of clinical waste on OP's drive?

[Pipistrella]

I think it is the deletion message that needs adjusting, as well as possibly the protocol in the Towers needing to be clarified (to us at least)

It's patently obvious that the thread in question didn't threaten anyone's privacy. That doesn't mean they had no reason to delete it; it just means we aren't aware of the reasoning.

I know that at some point in the last few years it became a bit of a policy not to delete threads simply at the OP's request, and that was when the new message came into play, but it appears that sometimes there are exceptions, and it would be helpful to us lot darn ere to have a sort of clue what the criteria are.

If that could be arranged

[Gruntfuttock]

Why don't MNHQ tell the OP that they should use the facility of hiding the thread if they're unhappy with the replies? That would surely be preferable.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Well put, Pipistrella.

I've reported my thread in the hope that MNHQ will be along to explain.

[Pipistrella]

See I actually would prefer to have all my posts deletable at my behest, with a click of the mouse.
Sure, people have contributed but they are never as invested in the thread as the person who started it, so by default the decision should lie with the OP.

It can be really awful to get flamed even when you kind of deserve it. And that one had turned into a complete pile on.

AIBU stinks anyway as it encourages and legitimises that sort of behaviour. I'd like AIBU to die and each thread deletion request to be considered on its merits.

[Gruntfuttock]

BoreOfWhabylon More likely to delete it for being a thread about a thread unfortunately.

[Eminybob]

I did think that thread was odd but I thought it would more likely to be deleted for being goady rather than anything else.

Last time I checked it the OP hadn't returned since the op, did they come back? What else did they have to say?

[DropYourSword]

each thread deletion request to be considered on its merits

That's fair enough, but the deletion message should be edited. Because "we don't normally delete whole threads" is now a bit of a lie.

[BeyondCBA]

It mkaes the whole (relatively new, after all) "having deletion messages so people know why it was deleted" idea pretty pointless, when they just use one stock message. It seemed for a while that the "it all turned into a bir of a bunfight" message was their go-to, now its "privacy".

[TheFairyCaravan]

How does having a bit of blood stained gauze on your drive identify you? And if it does maybe don't post about it in the first place?

[Stillunexpected]

I posted on that thread and think it is ridiculous that MN deleted it. There was absolutely nothing which could have identified the poster (who, btw, didn't bother returning after their original post). The deletion message obviously doesn't fit that thread so I don't know why MNHQ deleted it. Of course, it's their site and they can do whatever they want but if this is some kind of New Year policy I think it would be fair to warn posters. And if people can have threads deleted just because they don't like the answers or post when drunk and then sober up, watch out for threads being deleted all over the place from now on.

[Stillunexpected]

See I actually would prefer to have all my posts deletable at my behest, with a click of the mouse. But what would make a mockery of the whole Talk forum. There would be deletions all over the place because people regretted what they had said or realised it was silly/goady/racist/identifying/whatever. Loads of threads would make no sense whatsoever with deletions all over the place. Plus, if someone cut n pasted a bit of your post you couldn't delete that anyway.

[BeyondCBA]

I posted a thread that was outable before. So i asked mn to change my name on all of my posts on that thread. I wasnt a twat though, i guess that makes a big difference...