Deleting posts

[Silent1]

Is it something we could stop thread starters being able to do once there's a reply to their thread as it happens quite often leaving a sort of rogue thread. I suppose stopping them from editing it as well would help

[Zebrano]

It does make reading the thread a bit WTF? when the OP is deleted.

[Fort Jefferson]

Maybe they should allow the OP to delete the whole thead then?

[Silent1]

Fort Jefferson said:

Maybe they should allow the OP to delete the whole thead then?

Why? surely you should think before posting?
If it goes awry they can click report and ask for it to be deleted citing their reasons

[RacingPete]

It is a tricky one this...

1 - Letting the OP remove the whole post is not something we want to do as this leaves the OP with final say over the direction of a thread they have started, thus if it is not going the way they want they just pull the plug on the whole thing and a good debate disappears for ever. Also it could result in threads disappearing through errors too.

2 - We have toyed with the idea of not letting the OP remove their post, which in the whole is a good idea but do you let them edit it. If you let them edit it then they could change it to something irrelevant anyway, thus being the same as deleting it.

3 - Stopping the OP editing or deleting their post. This is possible but there are quite a lot of instances of the OP editing a post due to a spelling or missing out some information that they want to add in, thus this will stop this.

4 - Show the original post regardless, allow editing or deletion of it but show that as a second post under the original.

As I haven't said.. but will now.. this is still up for debate.

[Silent1]

I like the idea of the second post, perhaps it could kick in if the post is substantially changed, although i don't know how you would implement that?

[ali_kat]

Could the first reply automatically quote the original?

[Silent1]

ali_kat said:

Could the first reply automatically quote the original?

So when you get a first post of novella proportions and it's quoted it'll be a nightmare and imagine that for every thread

[GreenV8S]

How about allowing the OP to delete their message, but in that case replace it with a pro-forma saying they have withdrawn it? So people looking at the thread later don't see a reply as the first post.

[ali_kat]

Silent1 said:

ali_kat said:

Could the first reply automatically quote the original?

So when you get a first post of novella proportions and it's quoted it'll be a nightmare and imagine that for every thread

No more so than when people quote 5/6/7.8/9 posts........

[Silent1]

GreenV8S said:

How about allowing the OP to delete their message, but in that case replace it with a pro-forma saying they have withdrawn it? So people looking at the thread later don't see a reply as the first post.

There's no point having the thread then though is there?

ali_kat said:

Silent1 said:

ali_kat said:

Could the first reply automatically quote the original?

So when you get a first post of novella proportions and it's quoted it'll be a nightmare and imagine that for every thread

No more so than when people quote 5/6/7.8/9 posts........

But what you're suggesting is the post is automatically quoted by the second poster, what happens if the OP instantly second posts? they can delete both then

[bobthemonkey]

How about if the first post is deleted, its automatically reported to the mods, so it can quickly be removed at their discretion, or reinstated.

[Silent1]

I think just removing the edit and delete option, meaning if they want to add anything or delete the thread they click report and state their reasons, that way it's kept private but stops someone being a dick when drunk and then deleting it.

[ali_kat]

Good thinking Batman