Ability to delete posts?

**guitrmn** · 02-19-2005, 08:33 AM

I wonder if it is at all possible to integrate the ability for users to delete posts as well as editting them. I know I've posted and then wanted to remove the entire post.

This would also save from artificially inflating a post count.

**Christopher** · 02-19-2005, 12:25 PM

The main reason we don't allow users to delete their posts is because we don't want them to go on some sort of rampage and delete all their posts, perhaps in some a fit of anger.

However, I do agree with you -- not on the point of post counts, that's minor in my opinion. But it's better than seeing edited messages with "nothing to see here" or something like that.

If we can apply a time limit on how long a post remains "deletable" (which I'm pretty sure we can), then I think we should enable it. We'll see what the others have to say.

**Anacrusis** · 02-19-2005, 03:05 PM

I like the idea of being able to delete posts within a certain time limit.

**Republikin** · 02-19-2005, 03:13 PM

I'm kind of skepticle, even with a time limit. That time limit should be short in my opinion. Just recently on another board I mod at this guy who was being a big pain in the butt knew he was about to get banned so he went around deleting his posts so that no one would know exactly what he had said and he could then spread the word that we banned him for no good reason.

**guitrmn** · 02-19-2005, 03:40 PM

I see your points. The 2 reasons I stated were the only reasons I brought it up. The post counts and the fact that there is a footprint (if you will) of a post.

If these are of no or little concern then I'm happy with that.

**DaveMo~** · 02-20-2005, 01:33 AM

If you happen to make an "oh-oh" reply, you can delete the content and ask a Mod to delete the post. On the occassion (doesn't happen much) that we find one where the member has deleted the content, one of the Forum Leaders will delete the reply. This way, the post count is not raised, and the "public footprint" is deleted.

It may be alright to give about 10 seconds for a member to delete their own reply. That would be just enough time to say, "I shouldn't have stated that" and then delete it. Anymore time than that and it stays, but can still be editted. With the flood control on, you could only delete the last one you made, and only within seconds.

My preference is not to allow it, much like the cptn!

Dave

**Harvey** · 03-03-2005, 01:48 PM

Why not just be able to only delete posts that havn't yet been replied to?!

**DaveMo~** · 03-04-2005, 02:56 PM

That's an interesting thought, Harvey. I'm not sure we can do that without a hack, but we've got the best vB hack man around. That's something worth discussing.

My first thought would be to still give it a time limit to be deleted, even if that were more than just seconds (like an hour or two). There have been times when members had not replied to a post because of the contents of that post (something controversial, something not understood, etc.) So, a couple of hours would give one plenty of time to change their mind about what they said....well, so would no reply to it. So, good discussion!

Dave

**Harvey** · 03-04-2005, 06:12 PM

I'd agree with the time limit and/or no reply hack.

The problem that needs to be combatted here is when people post something, become active on the forums and then end up hating the forum for no good reason and deleting all of their posts. You are then left without a forum that makes any sense.

If nobody had replied to the post, it wouldn't be a problem if the user deleted it; no harm done.

If somebody had replied to the post, say within an hour, and the original poster deleted their original post (getting confusing now, lol) then you would still be left with a non sensical topic, which is not acceptable. I think that the no reply hack would solve all problems associated and raised by people deleting posts; I can't think of anymore reasons to restrict post-deleting.

I believe there is a mod on PHPBB2 to do this, but I'm not sure about vb... if it's possible on PHPBB2, it can't be too hard to do here.

**tgmjr** · 06:21 AM

There's a hack out there that will let you set a time limit, I'm sure. In fact, I know of a forum that has a 5 minute time limit to edit your post. That's right edit your post. So there's got to be one for deleting, and you could just set it to say, 25 secs at the most.

Also, if the person is making the thread for the first time, someone replies in that 30 secs right before the user deletes his post/thread, wouldn't it delete the reply as well? Which would cancel out the whole senseless threads issue.