Posts Disappearing: Is it a New PF Policy?

[bapowell]

Is it new PF policy to delete posts that don't fit certain guidelines? I've had a couple recent posts that have simply disappeared (as have the posts they've typically been in response to.)

 

[Pengwuino]

Is it new PF policy to delete posts that don't fit certain guidelines? I've had a couple recent posts that have simply disappeared (as have the posts they've typically been in response to.)

It's been this way for as long as I can remember. It seems like different mentors have different criteria for when to delete vs. simply locking a thread vs. cleaning up a thread as well.

 

[D H]

Is it new PF policy to delete posts that don't fit certain guidelines? I've had a couple recent posts that have simply disappeared (as have the posts they've typically been in response to.)

I suspect [post=3686661]this post[/post] is one of them.

The first part of this post was a response to utter nonsense. The second part was a response to the OP. However, you didn't use the full quote mechanism for the latter part of your post. This made it appear that the quote was a continuation of nonsense post. So the mentor who cleaned up that thread (not me) deleted your entire post.

I undeleted and edited your post. I added the full quote to the OP and I deleted the quoted nonsense and your brief response to it (in full, "This is nonsense.")It is our policy to delete utter nonsense, and to also sometimes delete posts that are in response to nonsense posts. Suppose we didn't delete such responses. If the response used the quote mechanism, the quote would preserve the very nonsense we wanted to delete. Even if the response does not use the quote mechanism, it can still look completely completely out of place once the nonsense post is deleted. It's a bit of a judgment call whether we delete responses.

 

[George Jones]

Is it new PF policy to delete posts that don't fit certain guidelines? I've had a couple recent posts that have simply disappeared (as have the posts they've typically been in response to.)

This is a policy given in the Rules for Physics Forums,

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=414380.

Overly Speculative Posts: One of the main goals of PF is to help students learn the current status of physics as practiced by the scientific community; accordingly, Physicsforums.com strives to maintain high standards of academic integrity. There are many open questions in physics, and we welcome discussion on those subjects provided the discussion remains intellectually sound. It is against our Posting Guidelines to discuss, in the PF forums or in blogs, new or non-mainstream theories or ideas that have not been published in professional peer-reviewed journals or are not part of current professional mainstream scientific discussion. Non-mainstream or personal theories will be deleted. Unfounded challenges of mainstream science and overt crackpottery will not be tolerated anywhere on the site. Linking to obviously "crank" or "crackpot" sites is prohibited.

In order to register at Physics Forums, agreement with the Rules must first be indicated.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

It is our policy to delete utter nonsense, and to also sometimes delete posts that are in response to nonsense posts.

Bingo. Often I end up deleting multiple posts when only one user's post is the problem. Thing is if we just delete the problem post it leaves an odd discontinuous thread and also doesn't solve the problem of removing the problem topic from the discussion.

 

[Borek]

The other thread was about The God Particle. Whole thread was deleted as the first post was considered to be overly speculative. Sadly, it wasn't deleted immediately, but after some (mostly off topic) discussion.

 

[bapowell]

OK. Thanks everyone!

 

[LCKurtz]

I responded to a post in the Engineering and CS HH forum to the effect that nobody was going to do his work for him since he had shown no work. His post and my reply apparently are both gone. Nothing controversial though. Is deleting those par for the course?

 

[Evo]

I responded to a post in the Engineering and CS HH forum to the effect that nobody was going to do his work for him since he had shown no work. His post and my reply apparently are both gone. Nothing controversial though. Is deleting those par for the course?

If the member's HH OP did not meet minimum criteria, it would be deleted along (unfortunately) with any response. As much as we hate deleting anything that has a response, sometimes it is the only option, and given the amount of work the mentors have to do, following up to notify each responder just isn't possible. New mentors are always amazed at how much work is required. Mentors must be masochists, they work really hard only to be abused and harrassed. (not by you, members like you make all of the work worthwhile)

I know how it feels. Shortly after I joined, a thread I was posting in vanished. I had no clue what happened, my posts required a lot of research debating a crackpot. Turned out that the OP was banned and the thread deleted (due to my research debunking him, no less). There went all of my research, all of the time and effort I invested. POOF.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

If a member ever PMs me about a post bro g deleted I offer to send them a copy, I know it can be frustrating if one spends a lot of time on a post.

 

[jtbell]

If you see a post that clearly violates the rules and is therefore a good candidate for deletion (misplaced homework, insults, extreme speculation, crackpot, etc.), don't respond to it, simply report it. An exception might be for misplaced homework, where a quick reminder of the correct location is appropriate, but don't spend too much time on it because it will probably be deleted soon.