Deleting Posts - why it's rude!

When people take time out of their day to offer facts, advice and support, it's really bloody rude to delete all your posts so the information is not complete for all the other people who come here for help.

Think of OH as a group activity - something that may not help you, may help other people, so please leave threads intact - stand behind what you say. I don't think I have deleted a post in over 10 years, even when they've not been the most flattering!

Thank you

Well said, KIM! I absolutely agree! It's so confusing to follow a thread full of deletions - or worse - EDITS, that change the contents, where NOTHING makes sense!

We are all individuals...free to agree/disagree...can be adults...staying within the OH TOS...and still not take our toys and go home...

You never know how many lurkers you can truly HELP, with your posting!

If you can't LEAVE it, don't POST it, in the FIRST place...

I have read threads, had to go think about an answer, sometimes for hours, before I decide whether I should respond, or not...Once I respond, I know I HAVE to leave it there...

Just me...

It is rude. And worse it can leave readers and lurkers with a sense of the wrong information which can be downright harmful.

Anyone whose been here a bit has posts that they wish they hadn't written. It's ok! Just add a post correcting yourself when you have new information or realize your mistakes. People here are incredibly gracious and understanding. (I know this because in over 10 years of posting history you can bet I've had to eat my hat more than once.)

It's really easy to either add to your own thread with a new, correct comment. Or to go into the post you wish you'd never written and add something like this: "EDIT. I was an idiot. Apologies."

Anyone that's been around a bit has had to do it. It's embarrassing. It's also ok. Deleting isn't. Neither is editing a post to make no sense. Leave it. We'll love you anyway.

Absolutely agreed. Plus - it is not a shame to be uninformed or have opinion based on reading what is available. That's how we learn.

I am smart, a researcher, someone who often reads too much. But..over 10 years ago when I came to OH - I knew close to nothing, yet I believed I was prepared for what was coming. Very quickly some people told me that I had no clue.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but that was a challenge to me. I read, read some more, ...and I had the surgery...and I was glad I was so ignorant. Because I wouldn't have it if I really knew what to expect.

But, the same people who told me I was ignorant were there for me to advise and help when I really needed the help. I was glad that I never blocked them and I could see beyond some "harsh words" (they were really not harsh, but I read it as such - my hurt ego did).

I was able to go back to my original posts later on and re-read them. And even now - when I start feeling than I "know it all" , the old post are there to remind me of the past, where one time I felt the same.

Word.

If I do edit a post, I try to always leave a reason why like grammar errors or forgetting something I wanted to say. It helps me when others do so as well.

I do this too. Most of my edits are due to my mind moving faster than my fingers...aaand...needing coffee, haha. Alllways need the coffee.

Me too! I love my coffee:-)

Side note: this is why you'll sometimes see posters use the "quote" feature when replying. If it's likely that someone will delete or change their post, having a quote makes it easier to follow the conversation after changes are made.

Thanks for bringing this up, Sparklekitty!

In the old days, quoting someone was saying they're not to be trusted to stand by what they post. People will definitely get a side eye if they quote me!!!!!!

Now that OH is a kinder place, I have to try to excuse people who quote - but it's hard to change for some of us old'ns and our history

For people new to the forum, there is no need to quote everyone *****plies, if you hit "reply" everyone will know to whom you are replying! We rarely get threads that go to hundreds of replies - then it can get confusing and the quote feature might be needed.