Should mass deletion of one's own posts be permitted?

[Ninshub]

Yeah there hasn't been a specific definition, but I think we're talking about someone deleting all their posts in a thread, where they were heavily involved and where those posts are many (I'm thinking more like 10, 20, not just 3 or 4), and it wrecks the reading of the thread. We're not talking about people deleting posts here and there, as most of us often do for a variety of reasons.

Laird and I didn't discuss it beforehand, but from my point of view if the decision ends up being a No in one form or another, I wouldn't be OK with the idea that it would be retroactive.

So a No would be for someone in the future to massively delete their posts in a (or several) thread(s) where they have contributed significantly, and it wrecks the reading of the thread for others.

Hope that's a little more clear.

https://psiencequest.net/forums/thread-s...0#pid35470

"Personally, I'd favour a retroactive condition. Members would be given the chance to either (1) accept the new terms of membership, including their retroactive conditions, or (2) refuse the new membership terms, and to take a period of time, perhaps a fortnight, in which to delete any posts of theirs that they cared to, with their membership thereafter being cancelled."

[Ninshub]

OK, well, that's Laird "personally". (So what he says that follows is a hypothetical.) "Personally" I'm of the opposite mind! And it would be hard to make me budge on this - especially given the fact that the opposition to the basic idea itself is not minuscule. And to me this is not an issue worth making forum members sick over. I was in agreement with bringing up the topic for discussion, that's all.

Well, that was fun.

What should we do next?   

Well, that was fun.

What should we do next?   

Have a cup of tea with some shortbread. Delicious.

I wish I had finished reading the entire thread before voting, because my opinion shifted in that time. I voted for 3, but I've been convinced on 2. I hate when posts are mass-deleted, and I think it's a real problem for any new members who explore old threads looking for interesting discussions and information - but I don't see any way, short of removing the option to delete posts altogether, to regulate against that without it becoming unfair, convoluted, and an exhausting waste of energy for all involved.

[Ninshub]

I'm sure we can take that into account and know that your vote is actually for 2.

I'm sure we can take that into account and know that your vote is actually for 2.

Apologies if this has been covered but one forum I frequent allows editing and deletion of comments within 30 minutes and then locks them. 

Even if you stop people removing posts, am I right in thinking they could still edit them and delete the content?

I find this thread too long, I've only read the first thirty or so responses. I simply don't have the energy to read every contribution. Apologies to everyone over that.

First of all, I don't agree that the Question is valid.

I have several deep concerns here.

The first of which is: Why now? What is it about this particular point in the journey of this forum which has brought the topic to a head?

My second and greater concern is over an authoritarian and controlling mindset which certainly runs contrary to my own being, and I would hope at least is a serious topic to be considered in its own right as a broader approach to life.

As such, I consider that a partiticular series of events has led to some disruption and ill-feeling among forum members. I think it is vitally important to ask: is a time of instability and emotional turmoil over recent events really an appropriate point to be making powerful rule changes which would affect the running of the forum long into the future, long after the current events have been forgotten?

I also have a concern that this is perhaps an attempt to avoid dealing with individual personal responsibility over interactions between members, by pretending that this is a community-issue when in reality it was an interaction between a small number of people which was handled awkwardly. I'm not intending to say what is right or wrong, there are always multiple sides to an issue and one can see right and wrong on all sides. I'd like to set that aside. Nevertheless, I do feel that there is an element of deliberate distraction here.

To avoid facing up to the fact that mishandling of social interactions between various personalities led to strong ill-feeling and hurt, we have a rather ludicrous poll, with seemingly powerful consequences.

I propose that the poll be dropped and no changes made to forum rules. The debate over the poll is useful in itself. However, I do not feel this is the right time to be making any such change to rules.

Summary, a painful sequence of events, a number of people emotionally hurt, loss of a valuable forum contributor and supporter. Response - draconian and authoritarian power-grab. No, no, no. Inappropriate response. Poll and rule-change rejected.