Posts deleted for no reason

[Fairenuff]

On a current thread, one poster regretted what they had posted and asked for their posts to be deleted and HQ obliged.

The posts did not break guidelines or privacy but did show the poster in a poor light.

Is this a new policy? Can posters now post any old shite and ask for it to be deleted when they've calmed down/sobered up/whatever?

If posters are now allowed to do this, surely it will just lead to more goadiness as they can basically say what they like without being held accountable or challenged?

There was a recent thread where HQ addressed this and said it was untrue but I think the threads speak for themselves.

They've become very quick to delete things on a poster's whim.

Their site to run as they choose, I know. But they should at least be honest about it.

On another thread here in site stuff, in relation to whole threads being deleted, HQ posted this:

When someone asks us to delete a thread, we usually do our best to persuade them otherwise, and offer all sorts of alternative options - we'll urge them to 'hide' the thread, offer to retrospectively change their username, etc.

Why can't you apply the same to individual posters?

That's always been a thing. I know in the dim and distant past I've said things I immediately regretted and requested the posts be pulled. That's why they have the "withdrawn at posters request" as a deletion method.

We don't have the edit facility so this has always been an option.

It's still there Walter so they can't say it's untrue this time.

Sorry, I think I may have the wrong end of the stick. Are you arguing that you shouldn't be allowed to request a post to be pulled if you realise you have inadvertently said something offensive/been too harsh in your initial response/upset a fellow user and realised it? Why?

The site would be awful if posters could edit. Goaders and trolls would run amock.

The 'withdrawn at posters request' has been used in the past for specific things such as Jeffreygate, not just because someone has been a numpty and is embarrassed about what they posted. They should just apologise on the thrread and slink away and name change learn from it. Stop posting goady shite. Be responsible. Stand by your posts or change your opinion gracefully.

Then people could have proper discussions without all the derailment going on.

Tony one day you will learn to open your mouth instead of your arse.

I beg your pardon?

You can get any post withdraw for whatever reason you like. really? I did not know that. Pleased that most people don't use that though would make threads so hard to follow.

That was so rude of you I actually gaped. Maybe you could think about withdrawing that post in light of the fact that it is unnecessarily hostile! Jesus.

I have been on MN for a loooong time, and the withdrawal of posts by the person who wrote it has always, always happened. For a myriad of reasons. That's been the way it has always been so I'm not sure whether you just WANT to perpetuate the fight fight fight mentality of this place recently or whether you are unaware that this has always happened.

Either way, you're very rude.

Tony I was expecting you to come back to me with a wtf? about my comment. I was trying to give an example of the unnecessary rude comments that don't actually break guidelines (I don't think).

Do you think I should be able to answer your perfectly valid comment like that and then, after you've seen it and maybe felt unhappy about it, I can just get it deleted and carry on posting without anyone else knowing?

I think it's wrong. If you are going to dish it out, you should be prepared to live with the reputation.

X posts

Sorry everyone, I am trying to illustrate my point. Shall I now ask HQ if they will delete it?

Or should it stand.

That's what this thread is about.

Tony

I don't think it's THAT easy to get MNHQ to delete posts is it? Perhaps there is more to the situation than we may realise.
I posted a thread once when I was very upset about a situation and needed advice and reassurance. I then really regretted posting it almost immediately as to a friend (whom I pretty sure is on MN) it was easily identifiable and I was concerned of the after effects of my post in RL.

I really begged MNHQ for a deletion but all I got was the persuasive emails as telling me to just hide it and then telling me it's not that identifiable. Well it was. She'd seen it. They wouldn't delete it. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable. I think thrice before I post now obviously but I was fragile at the time. No wonder people nc so much.

I think I would rather be on a site where people thought "hang on, that wasn't on, I shouldn't have said that and I don't want people to have to read that" and that there is a facility to reduce bad feeling.

It's always blatantly clear when that has happened on a thread. IME posters will say "sorry, I've asked for that post to be pulled as I was out of line" or whatever. Usually there's a time lapse in between their request to MNHQ and the actual pulling of the post and in that interim period posters will take the opportunity to say "OMG! that's the worst thing I've ever seen, I can't believe you wrote that! I feel sorry for your children" etc etc.

Thank you for the have a in return.

I really don't get how it affects you adversely if someone realises they've been a numpty and asks for a post to be withdrawn. If such an occurrence makes your life so much worse, then I'd suggest that maybe you've become a little too over-involved.

Does it really matter to you that much if someone doesn't perform a public act of self-flaggelation for putting their foot in their mouth?

Having posted on here myself and got some awful replies that became very stressful I requested a post be withdrawn. MNHQ asked to keep it on as there was some helpful suggestions which there was.

They also commented reminding users that it's a support website not a place for insults and attacks. This did help.

I think if they really request to have something withdrawn as its affecting them and the replies are not helping and making a situation worse then YES they have a responsibility to withdraw.

IIRC you've always been able to report your own post and say "in retrospect that was out of line (mean, racist or whatever connotations, legally questionable) and MNHQ will withdraw it - especially if it's in breach of site rules and might be withdrawn on someone else's complaint. Like Tony I think that's broadly a good thing.

There are some cases where it perhaps shouldn't be allowed - if someone says something like "I pay my cleaner two pounds an hour and install CCTV cameras in the toilets to make sure she's not using my facility with her proletarian arse" or "I think ugly people should stay at home where I can't see them" then they maybe shouldn't be allowed to withdraw that.

It's MNHQ's website.

They can choose to delete your posts, or not delete your posts, for any reason THEY want.

They can change their mind from moment to moment, if they wish.

Maybe there should be an 'are you sure' button between hitting 'post message' and it arriving on screen.

It's fine to change your mind later and say, sorry I was being an arse and I take back what I said. People will be quite forgiving most of the time.

In the olden days you could just TYPE "Message deleted by MNHQ" if you wanted to look mysterious.

I may have misunderstood your motivation op, but why would you do that to Tony? It seems a poor way to illustrate a point.

I really don't get how it affects you adversely if someone realises they've been a numpty and asks for a post to be withdrawn. If such an occurrence makes your life so much worse, then I'd suggest that maybe you've become a little too over-involved.

It doesn't affect me but I've seen posters hounded off their own threads. The site is riddled with people who just seem to snap at each other.

It makes them look bad so obviously if they can get it deleted they will. I think this will encourage less responsible posting and we'll just get even more of this.

Does it really matter to you that much if someone doesn't perform a public act of self-flaggelation for putting their foot in their mouth?

As I say, it doesn't matter to me but some people really do get upset, yes. My example upthread shows how a throwaway comment can really piss someone off. Why should posters go around doing that when they could easily just apologise if they think they went too far.

I asked for one of my posts to be deleted and it was. I can't even remember why now, but I think it was something fairly harmless.

I would love an edit button. It may be abused by some, but at least my typos and bad grammar wouldn't have to stand for all time.

I used to love doing that Trills. That was before MNHQ posts were highlighted as well so it worked brilliantly!

I've seen threads where people have apologised for an ill thought out remark and forgiving is certainly not the word I'd use! We've all seen it, AIBU? Yes! Oh, OK! YABU YOU CUNT for 12 pages.