Nevermind: Technical Forum Changes: Nothing Has Changed

[Dawn Rhymer]

Hello,

I noticed a change on the forum, the new delete button for individual posts. Are there any other new changes?

Or, am I just unobservant and the delete button has always been there?

I also wasn't sure how to title this thread. I was struggling for the words. If there is something better to call this, let me know.

[Dawn Rhymer]

Wait a minute here...that "delete" button is not showing up on all my posts. ???

[Dawn Rhymer]

OK...the "delete" button only shows up on the posts in a private forum. Since I have never posted in a private forum until today, I have never seen it before.

Boy, I sure feel like Chicken Little. (Where is that "delete" button when you need it?)

[Primeperiwinkle]

You can go back and edit your posts and delete everything but the box. You have to leave a dot or something. I don't recommend doing that though as many many people are learning from your inquiries. We just don't say anything.

[Jeanne Webb]

Please don't remove your post and leave dots! Argh!

[MelisaH]

Please don't remove your post and leave dots! Argh!

Yes, please don't! In fact, for others reading along, I think in general we would rather people only edit their posts for spelling/grammar issues as changing ones posts in major ways can really make a thread confusing to someone coming in later. I would rather see details added in later in the thread, or if it is necessary, make edits for content (rather than spelling/grammar) consist of adding in details to make it clearer (rather than subtract from the post) and do it separately - at the bottom of the post demarcated with "ETA:" or something that distinguishes it as new content added to the original post.

[MelisaH]

OK...the "delete" button only shows up on the posts in a private forum. Since I have never posted in a private forum until today, I have never seen it before.

Boy, I sure feel like Chicken Little. (Where is that "delete" button when you need it?)

Can you see the Delete button now when you go to post there?

[Dawn Rhymer]

Yes, please don't!

I agree. I had to work through how I felt about the sudden power of "delete" I ignorantly thought I had. On one hand, it gave me freedom to erase things I might later regret writing. Perhaps I could be more bold in my writing, knowing I could later delete my posts. On the other hand, my writing could become rash, deceiving myself thinking potentially I had no consequences for what I wrote. Maybe I would hurt someone at the present in haste, but it could be erased so future generations of AOers would not know about it.

I settled on being grateful we cannot delete our posts. It provides boundaries causing us to reflect and think carefully about what we want to write. Granted, we can go back and erase the words...I have been guilty of editing posts, though mostly to add detail, clarify, and fix grammar. Only once have I deleted something at the end of the post. I couldn't sleep thinking about it, so I got up, turned the computer on, deleted it, and put it in a draft to think more about it.

I never thought about the implications of removing a post from the middle of a thread.

[Dawn Rhymer]

Can you see the Delete button now when you go to post there?

It is still there, in my earlier posts from today.

[MelisaH]

It is still there, in my earlier posts from today.

Okay, thanks. That tells me I have not found the glitch yet then.