To think that MNHQ should email people to explain why they are deleting their posts

[MrsBennetsPoorNerves]

One of my posts has been deleted without explanation. There was a "link" (which didn't actually work!) to the talk guidelines. I have looked at these and cannot see which of them I have supposedly broken.

I have seen so many horribly sexist, racist, homophobic, ageist, ablist comments on here over the years, which have been allowed to stand despite very clearly breaking the talk guidelines.

AIBU to think that MNHQ should not simply link to the guidelines when deciding to cancel posts, but that they should email the poster to explain which of the talk guidelines they have broken? How am I supposed to avoid breaking the guidelines in the future if I don't know what I am supposed to have done wrong?

No experience of having a post deleted, but I would expect a specific reason if it had so YANBU.

They don't have time to detail everything!

It's jut a chat forum!

Because it "breaches their talk guidelines" so why not ask them why that is ??

I guess that's that I'm asking.

So don't ask us, ask them !

Email NMHQ and just ask.

You wouldn't know if your post has been deleted unless you go back over every thread you've commented on!

It wouldn't need to take long. They could easily create a series of template messages that pick out which of the talk guidelines have been breached. Then all that they would need to do would be to quote the specific section of a post that led it to be deleted and attach it to the template stating the relevant guideline.

And yes, it's just a chat forum, but if they are going to moderate it at all, then they should resource it sufficiently to allow for this.

Fair point. I posted a question to MNHQ on the thread in question. I could email them as well. This thread was really more to discuss the general principle that there should be some form of explanation when posts are deleted.

No. There's no time for that. When they provide a link to talk guidelines on a delete, they ARE giving you a reason. You've written something that they consider to be against their rules. You can back and forth about it sure but I don't know why you'd bother. It's their site and they can do what they like.

Oh, I don't dispute that it's their site and they can do what they want. And if I have actually broken their rules, then I totally accept that they should delete me.

Their interpretation of "their rules" is just a mystery to me, I guess. I don't see which of them that I broke in the post that got deleted. I do see loads which much more obviously break the guidelines, which are regularly left to stand.

I can't be arsed to go back and forward with them over it tbh. It isn't that important and I am not upset about it. I am not going to flounce either. I am just mildly irritated by the lack of explanation and wondered if others would feel the same.

The reason you see so many crappy posts that haven't been deleted, is because they can't monitor everything. Yes they will scan threads and "self" delete as necessary, but the vast bulk of deletions are from another user reporting your post. If someone's taken particular offence to yours, and reports it, it's likely to go. If it's not reported, then it will most likely stay unless MNHQ happen to come across it, which won't always happen because of the size of the site.

Yes, I agree that even if you don't get a specific reason other than breaching guidelines, just a notification to let you know your post has been deleted would be nice.

So maybe the deletion message should say that someone else has taken exception to your post, rather than referring to the talk guidelines? That might be a more accurate explanation.

But they don't delete because someone has taken offence.

It's individually reported because someone has taken offence.

It's only deleted if they then find it to have breached their rules.

For (a daft) example, if you said "I can't stand beetroot" and I don't agree, I can report your thread. But they'll read it and leave your post up.

The modding is very inconsistent.
Some racist comments are allowed to stand despite being reported. Lots of disabling posts are allowed to stand.
It seems to come down to number of complaints and whether you are a liked poster or not.
Don't let it bother you.

Just click "report" on the deleted post and ask them why.

Most likely it's a personal attack or troll hunting which are both fairly subjective. They do make mistakes sometimes too.

I agree it would be useful to get a notice and ideally with a reason because otherwise people will keep doing it.

I think once you have committed an offence you are on their radar.
I got suspended in March for the first time in 15 years, after that it happened several times for things that were probably technically breaches of the guidelines but I saw far worse from other people that were still there.
I genuinely don’t think that my posting style has changed but who knows? I am on a last warning now and am posting very very carefully

Do you know @mnhq doesn't actually work as a tag? You need to report your comment to ask.

I suspect someone reported you
It would be interesting to know who and why, but of course there's no way you'll be able to find out.

In this case I'd feel as you do.

OP have you challenged racism in the past? That always gets some people reporting innocent comments you make.

It was neither.

Thank you, I am not really bothered by it. Just mildly irritated. And mystified as much as anything!

Yes, I have, but not a factor on this particular thread.

Yes, I suspect that too. I can take a guess as to why - they didn't like the opinion that I was expressing. However, I still don't believe that I said anything that broke the talk guidelines.

Oh well. Doesn't really matter.