How to get your own post removed

[Lynn Bodoni]

On another thread, someone (sorry, forgot who) said:

"Yes! I find it to be an abuse of a moderator's position to go back and delete comments that they may regret that they made. That's a luxury that the rest of us do not have, and makes it impossible to debate with a moderator on a fair level."

Actually, if you want your own post deleted, as a moderator or administrator to delete it for you. That's one of the reasons why we have our names highlighted, you know.

We will want reasonable assurance that you are who you say you are...for instance, you should mail us from the same email address you've listed on your profile. If for some reason you don't want your email address permanently available, change your profile for just a little while.

Incidentally, moderators can only moderate in their own forums. Administrators can moderate the whole MB.

Lynn/SDStaff Lynn
For the Straight Dope

[C K Dexter Haven]

I second Lynn here. I have responded to requests to fix spelling and to delete postings, and I will be happy to do so in future.

Well ... we should qualify this. We wouldn't delete a post just because it happens to make a point the OP found inconvenient later in the debate.

'Scuse us, folks. The staff needs to huddle on this for a mo.


[Note: This message has been edited by Ed Zotti]

[Falcon]

Thanks Ed - that's the point I'm having a problem with. And if normal posters can't do it, moderators shouldn't either.

[Drain Bead]

I use a different e-mail account from work--I can check my account on my profile from there, but can't use it to send. What would I do if I were at work and wanted to have a post deleted?

[mr john]

Uh oh are you sure you wanta do that. I am always hitting submit and then saying "ARGH why didn't I say..." not enough for a repost.
For example somewhere I said ".... the contamination was coincedental." can I have one of you change it to "........the contamination was PURELY coincidental"? Seriously what are the criteria? I don't worry about spellug, unless it makes me say something the opposite of what i meant. An d saying something that makes me seem an ass well.... I said it ,either I back it up, retract, or apologize ,lie my way out of it, or gracefully extract myself with an extremely clever witticism.

[mr john]

I just reread that, and saw
"... i meant.A nd..."
Lynn, could you please change that to "... i meant to say.A nd..."? sorry. couldn't resist when i reread it.

[Czarcasm]

How do I go about removing someone ELSE'S postings? ;).

[David B]

Slythe: First, get a bottle of liquid paper. Then...

;)

[Czarcasm]

What makes you think I'm blonde?


I,m in for it now, ain't I!!!

[C K Dexter Haven]

<< How do I go about removing someone ELSE'S postings? >>

If you find a posting that violates the Chicago Reader's policy, you sent an e-mail to the appropriate forum Moderator. There is a great deal of activity on many of these forums, and the Moderator can't be everywhere at once; we are glad to have our attention drawn to an offensive post so we can take action (or not) as required.

If you copy an Administrator on your e-mail, you will have your bases covered in case the Moderator is on vacation.

[dublos]

Is there a way to know which moderator to e-mail in those forums with multiple?

I was reading and noticed someone had posted material that violated the Chicago Reader's policy, so I was trying to figure out who to inform. In this case Uncle Beer saw it and corrected it before I could figure out who to notify, so I have decided to ask for future reference.

Thank you!

-Doug

[Coldfire]

Well, the most obvious restriction is time. See, I'm in Europe, for example. So right now, it's 4 AM over here, and you can't reach me.

Errrr.
Never mind.

(Any mod is fine, and when in doubt, copy all the relevant mods on the message. We don't mind that.)

[Show_Biz]

Why does Ed show up as unregistered?
I know that's how his oldest posts look, but the recent ones had a post count, etc.

And when did C K Dexter Haven become an admin?
If it's new, congratulations, CK.
If it's not, then please excuse my inattention.

[dublos]

Coldfire,

Thanks. If it is a case where I think someone's intentionally trying to mess with the board, you can bet every mod in my address book and the administrators will get a heads up.

I'm thinking more along the lines of "ahh, they didn't read the rules real carefully, I'd better give someone a heads up so this is edited soon" non-emergency type situation. 9 times out of 10 I would bet a mod's already read it and is acting on it, but as I'm starting to feel like a member of the community here I want to do my part.

If you don't think that they'd mind, I'll go ahead and e-mail all relavent mods in a given forum if that situation comes up, just so I know it's covered.

-Doug

[Coldfire]

Show_Biz: CK has been an Administrator for a long time - from the start, actually. As to Ed's "Guest" status: I don't know, honestly. Must be one of those conversion glitches.

dublos: one additional remark, although I'm not even sure it's an issue: if you're copying multiple moderators, make sure you don't put any in the "BCC" field. Just use the plain "TO:" or "CC:" fields. The reason is that we routinely forward stuff to o-ur colleagues, and getting the same message twice would make little sense. Plus, we already get about 70 SD-related e-mails per day (from posters and mods/admins). ;)

[NiceGuyJack]

Is it also possible to change the title of a Thread?

Jack

[Coldfire]

Yes. For a moderator or administrator. Why?

[NiceGuyJack]

Sorry,

Another question. Is it possible to change user name?

After 100 plus posts, I realized I don't always want to be nice. Sometimes I want to be bad.

Jack

[Coldfire]

Send an e-mail to Tubadiva@aol.com, and ask nicely. ;)

[DrewG27]

Not to be rude, but why was the edit/delete feature deactivated in the first place?

[Ukulele Ike]

Moderators: Please delete the above post.

(testing...testing...WILL Coldfire and UncleBeer allow Ukulele Ike to completely humiliate himself in ATMB, or will they do the RIGHT THING....stay tuned, Moderator Fans!)

[Montfort]

Originally posted by Ukulele Ike
I'm in love with pldennison.
Too late, Uke (on the delete request), it's already been quoted. :)

(Mods: Please don't delete this post.)

[dublos]

Hmmm.. now all we need to do is send a link to pldennison

[UncleBeer]

Uke, you have no idea how tempted I am to add something to your post, rather than delete it.

How 'bout this?

Originally posted by Ukulele Ike:
I'm in love with pldennison. And the horse he rode in on.

[Ukulele Ike]

Pldenninson, riding wild and free over the pampas on his muscular black stallion, Pinky...perspiration glinting on his bare chest, silken hair blowing in the wind, steely blue eyes fixed on the horizon...

(C'mon, SOMEBODY'S gonna delete these, right?)

Lynn?

Tuba?

AW?

[Polycarp]

Too late, Ike. They're going to let you suffer.

But I do have some options for you:

First, as a member in good standing, you can adopt St. Paul's technique and Appeal to Cecil. Surely the Admins. and Mods. would hasten to do his bidding!

Or you could explain that "any person with the suave sophistication expected of a SDMB member would surely realize that you were paying tribute to the immense intellectual capacity which PLD's posts exude."

Or "in view of Bush's election, you were doing your part to combat the rise in homophobia by acknowledging the Platonic affection in which you hold PLD for...."

Hey, you're good at BS! You write the lame excuse! :)

[Lynn Bodoni]

Incidentally, moderators can only moderate in their own forums. Administrators can moderate the whole MB.

This was true when I wrote it. Now that we've switched systems, any moderator can moderate in any SDMB forum. This has turned out to be very handy, particularly when a moderator notices spam, a porn link, or copyright infringement. So don't be too surprised if a mod issues a warning or otherwise acts outside "his" or "her" assigned forum.

Lynn

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally posted by Ukulele Ike
Pldenninson, riding wild and free over the pampas on his muscular black stallion, Pinky...perspiration glinting on his bare chest, silken hair blowing in the wind, steely blue eyes fixed on the horizon...

(C'mon, SOMEBODY'S gonna delete these, right?)

Lynn?

Tuba?

AW?

Hmmmmm, I didn't hear ANY offer of chocolate...

[SPOOFE]

Ike just doesn't like you, Lynn. Let 'im suffer!

[SPOOFE]

Oops... I should put a :D up there...

[Derleth]

These threads are more fun than a box full of greased rats.

Hoo-boy! :D

[Arnold Winkelried]

Ukulele Ike, there is nothing I would like better than to delete your post, but we should at least wait until pldennison sees it. I love to see romance flourish at the SDMB.

[DrewG27]

So really, why was edit/delete removed?

[Doug Bowe]

It could be misused by jerks.
And was.

[Chronos]

Quoth Ukulele Ike:
(testing...testing...WILL Coldfire and UncleBeer allow Ukulele Ike to completely humiliate himself in ATMB, or will they do the RIGHT THING....stay tuned, Moderator Fans!)Remind me again, Uke, what's the difference? I thought that letting you humiliate yourself was the right thing.

[TubaDiva]

Originally posted by DrewG27
Not to be rude, but why was the edit/delete feature deactivated in the first place?

We have enough fights as it is without people using the edit or delete functions to to say something inflammatory. . . then go back and edit or delete the offensive material.

your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
Hey Ike, glad to see those new drugs are working out for you. And by the way, I'm SO jealous.

[handy]

Does the pit need to be moderated? How come? Do people ever ask for their Pit posts to be taken off?

[Arnold Winkelried]

Hey hey hey! handy's right. Why do we need moderators in the Pit? Are Lynn Bodoni, Alphagene and John Corrado just living off the fat of the land and getting paid for nothing?!? Methinks some manager needs to look closely at their list of task items and accomplishments. Lazy bums. (grumble grumble)

[Montfort]

Originally posted by handy
Does the pit need to be moderated? How come? Do people ever ask for their Pit posts to be taken off?
I once asked a moderator to close and delete a thread I started in the Pit. No, it wasn't the one about you.

Why do you ask? I thought you don't go into the Pit.

[handy]

"Why do you ask? I thought you don't go into the Pit."

I don't. Not cause of what you started there. I haven't posted in the Pit probably for like a year or two years, it's been so long I forgot (Yes, I could find out if I wanted to).

But then I also don't read:
Comments on cecils columns, Comments on staff reports, etc.

WAG why they have moderators in the Pit is to get rid of illegal messaging...