Kevin_Davies's avatar
Dec 06, 2022
Status:
Declined

Delete my own posts

I want to be able to delete my own posts or replies. At least in the first hour.

9 Comments

  • I like to support this wish. If you accidentially post a code snipped containing sensitive data (e.g. forgot to mask something), you wont be able to remove the data...

    You may try to change the post, but the change history would still contain the sensitive data. You may check the change history of this anwser to understand the problems...

    Cheers, Kai

  • Status changed:
    New
    to
    Investigating

    First to address concerns around sensitive data:
    Only the author or site admins/mods can see the edit history.
    This is what anyone else sees on posts/replies/etc.

    So that is not an issue.

    Second, Deleting content is RARELY done (even by Admins on DevCentral).
    NOTE: I am talking about Forum posts here, other record types (e.g., CodeShare) may have different rules.

    Basically the content has to be dangerous or malicious - we follow extremely strict procedures around deleting posts (after the obvious malicious/dangerous examples).

    * A forum post mistyped can be edited within the first 24 hours by the author. A special request can be made to Mods/Admins to edit something outside of that window. 24 hours is a long time in our community already - we have sub-24hr response times on average.

    * Arguably - the value from a bad question revised is as good or better than the question as improved upon at first. The journey to the right question has additional value.

    * A forum post deleted is 100% value lost - more than 100% (if that is possible?) when there are comments and kudos and threaded replies and *context*. And even MORE than the second 100% (WTH?) if the post has already been indexed by natural search (e.g., Google).

    Even in a GDPR situation we employ tools to anonymize the member and keep the content.

    I am not an absolutist by nature but this is about as close to a hard no as you will encounter here.
    What am I missing Kevin_Davies?

  • Because I have access to the History, thats why I brought up my concerns.

    Cheers, Kai

  • fair enough - that is an MVP specific permission we added after some consideration about 6 months ago.
    MVPs have enhanced permisisons on DevCentral because you/they/we tend to know each other and have a high-degree of confidence in your input and, by extension, actions in the community.

    So, no - that isn't a moderator permission. It is an MVP permission.

    IF ya'll don't like that (or want that) then we (the DevCentral team) can remove it and reduce exposure.
    Delete *any* or *own* post remains off for anyone but Admin. 

  • Status changed:
    Investigating
    to
    Declined

    Not weird - "it's a feature". 🤔
    Threaded replies in Suggestions is an oversight (IMO). Would be helpful. (I'll put it in feedback to platform team)

    OK - so setting this to declined.
    Thank you Kevin_Davies and Kai_Wilke so much for the conversation about this (and all the things we want to make DevCentral better).

    Now, about finding me 28hrs in each day... 😎