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Dear Charlie Don't Surf,

I've noticed that you have been adding posts, then shortly thereafter deleting them. Sometimes within minutes of making the post. I have nothing against post deletion - I've deleted quite a few of my own posts over time. Rarely I'll even delete one very soon after I posted.

But I've now seen you do this many times over the last day or so. Perhaps this is normal for you, and I'm only noticing now because I'm participating more. Perhaps your post behavior has changed recently.

Either way, it makes me feel like a hit and run occurred. A post crashed into the thread, and while the participants were still looking on the post disappears never to be seen, leaving a number of replies in limbo. It's disconcerting re-reading the thread later and seeing a conversation where it feels like I'm only reading one side of it, when I clearly remember seeing both sides of it last time I read the thread.

It's also disappointing when I've spent some time crafting a reply, then post it only to see the post I originally replied to is no longer present. Like I'm getting old and talking to an empty room long after my guests have left.

It's disquieting, and I'm left to ponder the reasons. Perhaps you changed you mind. Perhaps you posted in anger, and upon reflection decided it would be better to remove it. Perhaps you feel we don't want to hear from you. Perhaps your cat performs a complex dance with the mouse and keyboard when you leave the computer. Perhaps you've decided the content needed some polishing. Perhaps you've decided the content is better expanded upon in your blog/diary/opinion page.

Regardless, I'm left watching a discombobulated thread, or talking to the empty darkness of a room, and I'm hoping you consider these uncomfortable feelings you generate when you choose to delete a post.

Only half tongue in cheek,
Adam

stienman said:

Regardless, I'm left watching a discombobulated thread, or talking to the empty darkness of a room, and I'm hoping you consider these uncomfortable feelings you generate when you choose to delete a post.

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??

Charlie Don't Surf?

More like CHAIRlie Don't Surf, amiright?

ThatNickGuy said:

Charlie Don't Surf?

More like CHAIRlie Don't Surf, amiright?

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You've always been a stool pigeon for his antics.

Adam said:

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Oh shit I laughed really hard. That was the most amazing response you could have made to that first post.

I don't think I've deleted that many posts in the first ~5 minutes. But I do this sometimes when I post something that's too mean or too flippant or just decide I don't want to argue about that. I also frequently edit stuff right after I post it to add a little bit more

I admit, I too am slightly miffed every time I see a deleted post. Usually it just feels like there's a piece of the puzzle missing, and that can be a vexing feeling from time to time. Not to mention it feels like someone didn't have the balls/ovaries to stand behind their statement...

Of course, there's the exception: flame wars that take over otherwise perfectly good threads. Those I don't mind seeing purged.

One of my favourite guilty pleasures as a moderator is reading people's deleted posts (which we can still see) and trying to figure out why they deleted them.

Gusto - Do you guys also see what the poster lists as a reason for deletion, if there is one?

WasabiPoptart said:

Gusto - Do you guys also see what the poster lists as a reason for deletion, if there is one?

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Yup.

Heh.

I should add that I've never seen a deleted post that was particularly lascivious or controversial. Usually it's the person posting in the wrong thread, or doubleposting, or saying something obvious that never really needed to be said, stuff like that.

I love deleting my own posts.

Doohohohohohh, GasBandit, you card.

I assume gas made the joke I wanted to so I shan't bother. Out of curiosity, when we type up a post but decide not to post it, can the mods see that?

blotsfan said:

I assume gas made the joke I wanted to so I shan't bother. Out of curiosity, when we type up a post but decide not to post it, can the mods see that?

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It's saved somewhere, weirdly. I dunno if it's my browser, but there was one post that I typed up a reply and then closed the tab. And a couple days later I was going to reply to that thread, and when I went to, my typed-up post was still there.

Aside from the MASS CENSORING that me and Mathias did after making amends, I've rarely made major edits to my posts.

Though I will say (and I believe Jay said he's seen me do this numerous times) that I'll make minor grammatical and punctuation edits to my posts, almost usually immediately after posting. It's one of those proofreading things that comes with being a writer, I guess. Once you see it down and out there, you start to think, "No, that can read better."

Ex.: Just now, I edited this post. Originally, I said "No, that can look better" but then realized "No, that can read better" would sound better or make more sense.