Should people delete off topic posts in a thread?

You can see the archived poll results on the Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20221220093741/https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/72571

This has come up in the past few days between Kreisler and I and I would like to know everyone else's opinion on this topic.

Re-say what you mean, and then I’ll vote. The title is worded twisty.

Conversation should not be deleted, unless it forms abuse of some type that is later deemed not in the best intrests of the forum, I’m constantly suprised at the lack of a swear filter on an open forum, so I edit myself.

Done, sorry about the bad wording.

You edit yourself by deleting all of your posts? :p

I won’t edit, what I should have said was “moderate myself” thus saving the little scamps from doing it for me.

I even leave my mistakes in so everyone can see me look stupid :bigsmile:

Deleting ruins continuity. Just my opinion but the OT posts on BLF are some of the best and give this forum it's unique personality. That being said, OT posts are in every forum, they just seem better here. :p

If our admin allows us to delete posts (which he does), then we should be able to use them at our discretion, without repercussion, since it is allowed in the first place.

It should be left to the discretion of the individual to do as he wants with his post comments.

Yes I sometimes delete/edit my off topic posts… BUT I would NEVER expect others to do the same.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

We have a winner!

Sometimes I post a reply which seems like a good idea at the time , and then , after some reflection , not so much . I am glad to have the ability to delete posts .

I have also written many replies which I never ended up posting ...

This.

I know I haven’t been here long, but I have had a bit to do with forums in the past.

While its true idiots posting garbage can ruin a forum, so can over-moderation. So I guess to me it depends a lot on the kind of off topic posts. Generally in here, and as some mention above, things seem to moderate themselves. No doubt the admins should be given credit also, as I don’t doubt they do a lot to help keep things in good order too.

I think theres a big difference between random garbage and other conversations weaving through a thread. I agree that it is often the OT conversations that I personally enjoy, and they allow us to show our personalities and humanity, and get to know each other as individuals. Many here have become good friends because of this freedom no doubt.

Sometimes, our moments of madness and silliness are our biggest inspiration. They certainly can be our most humorous ones. I think it would be a shame to delete them as a matter of course.

As long as we keep it real and keep it clean, it’s all good (IMHO)

One man’s on-topic can be another man’s off-topic!

We have self-regulated ourselves in the past, no need to worry about it gentlemen.

I really appreciate and respect the way the membership here self moderates but I sometimes find it frustrating when following a real interesting subject or discussion to find the discussion has turned to a cell phone app then a family pet and finally get back on subject. I think it shows a lack of respect for the originator of the thread, this forum has a multitude of sub forums that off topic subjects can be brought up on so yes I believe the delete button should be used.

I am a little put off, how Kreisler uses his way of posting & deleting... sometimes he resurrects ancient threads and then deleting his post after someone else replies ... or he does strange out of context quotations... it happens a few times too often to be simple mistakes. I get the impression he never wanted the posts to stay up in the first place...

Don’t delete a post if someone replied to it and it becomes a part of a conversation. A missing post makes the rest of the conversation hard to follow.

Jack nailed it.

I can't tell you how many times I've typed a response, sometimes at great length, only to back-space some and/or, then all of it. I do it so often in fact, that I've on occasion gone looking for a post, wondering where it is then, wondering if I actually posted it.

Gotta be brave to grow old.

Foy

Do NOT care.