Why isn't there an option to delete threads?

[Daniel2244]

I am just curious, why there isn't an option where you can delete your old threads? Is it because someone might have the same question/problem and your threads could provide a solution without a need for them to create a thread?

 

[russ_watters]

I am just curious, why there isn't an option where you can delete your old threads? Is it because someone might have the same question/problem and your threads could provide a solution without a need for them to create a thread?

It's that, plus I would consider it rude for someone not a moderator to delete my posts without asking me.

 

[Daniel2244]

it rude for someone not a moderator to delete my posts without asking me.

I don't mean other people can delete other peoples threads, just your own.

 

[russ_watters]

I don't mean other people can delete other peoples threads, just your own.

Thread->posts.

If you delete a thread, you delete all posts in the thread, regardless of who wrote them.

 

[fresh_42]

I don't mean other people can delete other peoples threads, just your own.

It is rude as soon as there has been replies. It meant that we don't appreciate our members' efforts to answer to posts. Why should I, if it is deleted anyway?

 

[Bystander]

delete your old threads?

Among other things it's "dis-incentive" for "drive-by" posting; you have no anonymity.

 

[symbolipoint]

Among other things it's "dis-incentive" for "drive-by" posting; you have no anonymity.

I do not know what you tried to say there.

If a member is either serious, or is honestly curious, he can post a statement, or post a question. Member should expect that this posting will remain on the forum for as long as the whole physicsforums lasts. Some replies may then be posted, either as part of discussion or as a way to answer the original post. These stay also, unless some postings get out-of-hand; and then a moderator or administrator could delete a post, or lock the topic. Mod or admin's can also delete posts no matter who made them.

 

[jim mcnamara]

Individual posts can be deleted by mentors. We can also stop a member from making new posts in a particular thread, a thread ban.

Members can only edit a post in a thread for a time after the member wrote the post. We used to allow members to edit any post they made as long as the whole thread was open for posts. This created problems with members who always had to be "right". Those members would go back and "retrofit" previous posts in a discussion to make themselves appear correct. This caused confusion. Not to mention lots of discord.
@symbolipoint --
@Bystander comment about "drive-by" posts and other activities like that, is an excellent point. It just means that nasty, derisive and or nonsense posts cannot be altered after a short while. Sort of a smoking gun, so to speak. Being a moderator or mentor means checking in several times a day, in order to fix a surprising number of problems. Without the no-delete feature we could have big problems and never be able to see them, since we cannot be everywhere on PF all the time.

Please report any problems you happen to see. It makes PF life a lot easier for all of us.

 

[berkeman]

I am just curious, why there isn't an option where you can delete your old threads?

In addition to the other responses, keep in mind that the PF is visited by search engine bots many times a day, and posts are archived by those search engines. So even for deleted posts and threads, a Google search (or via other search engines) turns up those archived versions if the "live" version is no longer available.

 

[dlgoff]

... as long as the whole physicsforums lasts.

Isn't PF's life expectancy = ∞?