[Suggestion] Delete Button

[Vermillion]

Okay, now, simple question...

The hell is there no delete button?
lol jk, but really though, a delete button would be so useful when one needs to delete a post. For example, I just posted an answer to a question two times in one thread by accident because I hasn't realized I already replied to it. Now me, not wanting to be redundant, I went back and tried to delete my earlier post and decided to keep my second one. And to my surprise a "Delete" button was absent from the posting tools.

Yes, so the suggestion here is a delete button so members to delete their own posts.

[The Batman]

The reason why there isn't a delete button is because it would be abused but you could just go and edit or even report it and ask the mods to delete it and if they will delete it if they see fit.

[Whisper]

There used to be a delete button
It was HIGHLY abused

and so was removed

[redcar]

For continuity reasons as well. Threads look funny when posts start disappearing.

[Gavin]

As said i think that would be highly abused with allsorts of people deleting each other threads and stuff.

[Sugaree]

It would be abused by members. So I agree with all the above posts.

[Patchy]

As everyone has said it leaves gaps in posts, it you really don't like what you said you can go back and edit it. However you cannot delete your own posts.

[Antares]

Or the fastest way would be to report it with your request for deletion...

[Vermillion]

Wait, excuse me for a second and let me make sure I heard you all right. You said the delete button was abuse? I mean, I can understand how the report button can be abused, even the edit button I can understand.
But the freakin' delete button was abused? Que-way?
I mean, something must've gone down in the time I was away from this site, someone mind filling me in on how the delete button can be, and was abused? o_0

[Underground_Network]

^^ Ex. Someone posts something inappropriate while no admins or mods/gmods are on. Someone reports it, but said person deletes the post an hour later with no evidence of it being there. Thus the staff has no grounds on which to ban said member other than the testimony of several members that were on that the time. There are other ways to "abuse" it as well... You could insult another member, and then they're reply to your insult could be an insult as well, then you could delete your post, and not only make the other person look like an idiot, but could get them an infraction as well [depending on what they said]...

[redcar]

Wait, excuse me for a second and let me make sure I heard you all right. You said the delete button was abuse? I mean, I can understand how the report button can be abused, even the edit button I can understand.
But the freakin' delete button was abused? Que-way?
I mean, something must've gone down in the time I was away from this site, someone mind filling me in on how the delete button can be, and was abused? o_0
Well actually nothing happened while your away, the delete button was removed long before you joined. If memory serves me correctly it was only mods and diary owners who could use it. This was the time when we were using phpBB and deleting would physically remove the post from the system. Now we have a much nicer way of doing it.

Either way, we don't let members delete because it just messes with the flow of things. Suddenly threads start having posts disappearing and everything just looks messed up. So thats why we don't have a delete button for members and why we won't have a delete button in the future.

[Kiros]

Alright, imagine the following scenario with the make-believe members, Rob and Howie.

Rob and Howie got into an argument in one thread. Rob was frustrated, so he waited until he didn't see any staff members online, and then he publicly posted a demeaning message about Howie. After he knew that Howie read it, Rob quickly deleted the post so he wouldn't get in trouble.

Even if we only allow soft-deleting of the author's posts, most of the public will still be oblivous to the situation, meaning that there will be questions, arguments, and conspiring thoughts about the ordeal.

In the past, this happened numerous times, so we have permanently disabled that feature. A member can always report their post to request that it be deleted - for a valid reason, of course.

Edit:

I walked away for 10 minutes, came back, and finished my post, and there have already been two people that replied before me. I feel so... slow.

[Close102]

another thing is that if you delete one wouldn't your post count go down. not really that important but just putting it out there.

[Maverick]

Why would your post count going down by one be a bad thing?