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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be annoyed by the volume of deleted comments which are merely mildly provocative or robustly stating an opposing opinion, rather than being unacceptably rude or offensive?

186 replies

auserna · 15/03/2026 15:05

NOT a TAAT.

Does anyone else find it highly irritating when threads end up having more holes than Swiss cheese due to so many posts having been deleted?

Much of the time the person at whom the contentious comment was aimed has replied (obviously before the deletion) in a manner that suggests they weren't in the least offended or bothered by it - but now you can no longer see what they were responding to.

It sometimes feels a bit like being back at school, with everyone running to the teacher and gleefully exclaiming, "Reported!" as if they're going to earn a gold star for doing so.

It's not actually injurious to one's health to be mildly ruffled by someone having a different opinion or viewpoint on a particular topic, as happens all the time in real life.

I may be an outlier here, and am happy to accept that if it's the case, but I'm curious to know how others feel.

OP posts:
NovemberMorn · 15/03/2026 16:36

BuffetTheDietSlayer · 15/03/2026 15:30

Yanbu. I recently had a post deleted as a personal attack. All I had posted was ‘You’re being silly’ to an OP.

People can post all manner of racist or ableist crap and it’s left to stand though.

Tha'ts ridiculous.
A recent one calling me nasty and vile, by someone who had nothing to say about the topic, just me...was allowed to stay.

A further comment aimed at me by the same poster, was deleted, and I had no idea what the content was.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:34

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway you will get hate messages now 😆

CruCru · 15/03/2026 16:32

Dontlletmedownbruce · 15/03/2026 16:11

@CruCru I wouldn't think moron is particularly offensive? It's used a lot where I live although its not a word I like to use myself. It's just another word for idiot or stupid.

I think it is an old term for a person with fairly serious learning disabilities. It’s a slur. Calling someone a “moron” is about as offensive as calling them a “spastic” (widely used in my junior school in the 1980s, now considered an awful thing to say).

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 15/03/2026 16:28

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:23

I’ve definitely learnt that you are very unpopular on the Royal board if you don’t think Meghan is quite as bad as Satan 😆

Well, she's not QUITE as bad as him! 😆

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 15/03/2026 16:27

Not sure which comments you're referring to @auserna but I haven't seen any deleted unless they have been rude, and insulting to the OP. (Or racist, bigoted, or just plain nasty.) Also, when you click 'report' now there is an option that says 'unnecessarily rude and aggressive' (or something similar,) so that could be making a few more comments disappear...

Pricelessadvice · 15/03/2026 16:25

People are so offended by everything nowadays aren’t they?
Ive had comments deleted that weren’t in any way offensive, simply stating an opposing view to someone else. Seems some people have to silence others when they disagree with them.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:24

Justine has posted recently about wanting MNHQ to deal (better) with unpleasant and nasty posts on MN, accepting that the 'tone' - for want of a better word - has changed for the worse over the last few years.

Is that just lip service though?

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:23

I’ve definitely learnt that you are very unpopular on the Royal board if you don’t think Meghan is quite as bad as Satan 😆

SerendipityJane · 15/03/2026 16:23

BIWI · 15/03/2026 15:20

Justine has posted recently about wanting MNHQ to deal (better) with unpleasant and nasty posts on MN, accepting that the 'tone' - for want of a better word - has changed for the worse over the last few years.

Will no one think of the sponsors.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:21

@Bagsintheboot that makes more sense so thank you. I would have thought that the moderation would be better tbh.

Bagsintheboot · 15/03/2026 16:21

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:19

Your posts may have been against TG but unless someone reports them then they won't be deleted. If everyone else reading the thread agrees with you they're unlikely to report it

So that’s why bullying can happen, the onus is on you and if the others agree they can “gang up”?

Pretty much. MN moderation relies on posts being reported. If you or your post are unpopular, that's bad news.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:20

@ilovesooty tbh I wouldn’t know as I don’t look at notifications & I tend to ignore the obvious troll threads now.

Bagsintheboot · 15/03/2026 16:19

Dontlletmedownbruce · 15/03/2026 16:16

Thanks @Bagsintheboot . Doesn't that mean that MN isn't actually moderating it's site at all? Just removing individual posts at the request of other individuals. That's pretty poor form isn't it? It would allow certain people or possibly bots remove opinions that aren't agreeable with them and promote their own agenda.

No user can request another users post is removed. We can only report posts. Whether a post is then deleted is up to MN and MN alone.

MN mostly only reviews posts that are reported to them. They don't, as far as I know, read threads and moderate in real time.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:19

Your posts may have been against TG but unless someone reports them then they won't be deleted. If everyone else reading the thread agrees with you they're unlikely to report it

So that’s why bullying can happen, the onus is on you and if the others agree they can “gang up”?

ilovesooty · 15/03/2026 16:19

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:15

Is troll hunting calling a poster a troll? I have definitely done that on some threads but that hasn’t been deleted as far as I am aware but the threads always get deleted.

If you'd been reported I think you would have been deleted.

People are reported and deleted for troll hunting which is less overt than that.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:18

Dontlletmedownbruce · 15/03/2026 16:16

Thanks @Bagsintheboot . Doesn't that mean that MN isn't actually moderating it's site at all? Just removing individual posts at the request of other individuals. That's pretty poor form isn't it? It would allow certain people or possibly bots remove opinions that aren't agreeable with them and promote their own agenda.

I think that is what happens. You have to report it

Bagsintheboot · 15/03/2026 16:18

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:15

Is troll hunting calling a poster a troll? I have definitely done that on some threads but that hasn’t been deleted as far as I am aware but the threads always get deleted.

Well I can't speak for the mods, but I would assume any implication that a poster isn't real or on the wind up would be troll hunting.

Your posts may have been against TG but unless someone reports them then they won't be deleted. If everyone else reading the thread agrees with you they're unlikely to report it.

Best just to report the posts you think are trolls though, IMO. It's caused a lot of upset before when genuine posters have been accused. And I think someone got banned for it.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:17

hazelberry · 15/03/2026 16:15

Grammar corrections should always be deleted.

Show quote history

I’ve seen people asking for clarification though? Some of my posts don’t make sense when i’ve read them back as my phone changes words etc

ilovesooty · 15/03/2026 16:16

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:16

I wouldn't think moron is particularly offensive?

Whereas I would think it was offensive and wouldn’t say it.

I agree.

AccordingToWhom · 15/03/2026 16:16

hazelberry · 15/03/2026 16:15

Grammar corrections should always be deleted.

Show quote history

I agree. It's so unnecessary and sneery.

ilovesooty · 15/03/2026 16:16

Dontlletmedownbruce · 15/03/2026 16:11

@CruCru I wouldn't think moron is particularly offensive? It's used a lot where I live although its not a word I like to use myself. It's just another word for idiot or stupid.

If you actually call someone an idiot or stupid you might well get deleted, as well as if you tell someone they're thick.

Dontlletmedownbruce · 15/03/2026 16:16

Thanks @Bagsintheboot . Doesn't that mean that MN isn't actually moderating it's site at all? Just removing individual posts at the request of other individuals. That's pretty poor form isn't it? It would allow certain people or possibly bots remove opinions that aren't agreeable with them and promote their own agenda.

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 16:16

I wouldn't think moron is particularly offensive?

Whereas I would think it was offensive and wouldn’t say it.

Bagsintheboot · 15/03/2026 16:15

IglesiasPiggl · 15/03/2026 16:14

It's really the inconsistency that irritates me. I had a comment deleted because I said people who think they don't need to wear sunscreen in Spain must be pretty dense. Yet someone directly called me an arsehole and apparently that's OK 🤷‍♂️

Did you report the arsehole comment? If not then that's probably why it wasn't deleted.

hazelberry · 15/03/2026 16:15

RhaenysRocks · 15/03/2026 15:58

I had one deleted for mildly pointing out a grammar error (should of, not should have). I wasn't nasty or anything...o.think I actually slightly took the piss out if myself for posting it and it got taken down

Show quote history

Grammar corrections should always be deleted.

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