Can we disallow deleting posts, please?

[Traumflug]

Wherever one looks, it has apparently become a habit of users to delete their posts. Which sometimes ends up in empty threads:

https://forum.thirtybees.com/topic/966/aligning-text-in-bulgarian

Far too often, discussions get crippled beyond recognition, sometimes even the original issue gets removed, so readers can no longer follow what's going on:

https://forum.thirtybees.com/topic/962/issue-with-shopping-cart-totals-taxes-not-updating-on-screen

https://forum.thirtybees.com/topic/931/reopened-how-to-use-csv-import-for-many-colors-sizes-for-a-single-product

https://forum.thirtybees.com/topic/886/can-i-change-default-to-switch-to-image-editing-in-mass-combinations-update

The best forums I'm aware of have neither a 'delete', nor an 'edit' button for users. Once written, posts are there, unchanged.

This way people can learn what's going on, what's IMHO the entire point of forum discussions. Even if people think they did something "silly", there's no reason to be ashamed of it. Intuitivity is crucial, so "silly" things happening means there's room for improvement. And this should be fixed on the software side, not on the learning curve side. Until such a fix happens, users should be able to find the solution with their favorite search engine.

[piet]

This has my support, it's very annoying when you find reactions on empty discussions

[marci123]

Couldn't agree more. I think it is a good idea being able to edit posts but deleted posts create questions and leave options for speculations.

[RaptorX]

I would say remove the delete option but allow editing (in a timeframe) to fix mispellings. English is not my first language and usually I dont find errors (even when proofreading) until later on.

[zimmer-media]

I would also find it better, if the posts can not be deleted. edit: Deleted posts appear very untrustworthy.

[dynambee]

I don't see a lot of point to removing the option to delete posts if people can still edit their posts. All a person has to do is edit their post and remove all the text and they have functionally deleted their post.

[dynambee]

Perhaps edits should be allowed for up to 30 minutes after posting and then the posts should be locked. That gives people enough time to fix typos and other errors but makes sure the post record is properly kept over the long term

[marci123]

@dynambee said in Can we disallow deleting posts, please?:

Perhaps edits should be allowed for up to 30 minutes after posting and then the posts should be locked. That gives people enough time to fix typos and other errors but makes sure the post record is properly kept over the long term

I think editing posts is useful (sometimes information change over time and it is helpful being able to update the post). I find it always annoying if there is a time limit and I cannot change something that needs to be altered later. For example in the csv thread there are a lot of deleted posts because the link to the csv file changed. This could be easily avoided if the link can be updated whenever it is necessary.

[dynambee]

I agree that allowing editing has benefits. I like Reddit's system where users can always edit or delete posts, but I realize it's not always ideal.

However if users can always edit their posts there is no point in blocking deleting. As I demo'd above a message can be effectively deleted by editing it and removing the content.

[marci123]

@dynambee said in Can we disallow deleting posts, please?:

I agree that allowing editing has benefits. I like Reddit's system where users can always edit or delete posts, but I realize it's not always ideal.

However if users can always edit their posts there is no point in blocking deleting. As I demo'd above a message can be effectively deleted by editing it and removing the content.

I think the advantages of being able to edit posts weigh more than the possibility that somebody may use the system to completely remove the content. If there is an option to delete the post it is an invitation to delete. This should be removed. A misuse of the edit function should be the exemption and is not the end of the world. Just my 2c.

[dynambee]

My opinion is that users should be in control of their content and allowed to edit and delete as they see fit. However I don't run TB so my opinion doesn't really matter.

However if TB is going to block deleting (which has already been done) then something has to be done about editing. It's purely symbolic to remove the delete function when users can effectively delete their posts anyway.

[marci123]

@dynambee said in Can we disallow deleting posts, please?:

However if TB is going to block deleting (which has already been done) then something has to be done about editing. It's purely symbolic to remove the delete function when users can effectively delete their posts anyway.

I wouldn't see it so pessimistic. I suggest to wait and see if this is really necessary. Just a possible scenario ... let's say I have posted the link to the shop of a client and the client wants the link to be removed. Wouldn't it be a pain not being able to edit the post then? We are all grown up people and even in the prestashop forum being able to edit posts has never ended up in empty posts. It's just the delete function that invites deleting posts.

[Traumflug]

It’s purely symbolic to remove the delete function

Yes, true. Still the message is clear now.

In case it becomes a habit to edit-delete posts there's a solution, too: disallow an edit if it changes more than 10% of the original content.

[marci123]

I think editing should be allowed and deleting not. If somebody is misusing the editing function I trust these will be excemptions and the forum will survive a single case. This has never been a problem in the prestashop forum so why should it become a problem here? As I said before it could be that somebody has to delete a link and if the post was just "here is the link" than yes editing could mean altering nearly the whole content, but it could be explained. Sometimes this can be necessary.