# Deleting old threads? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 6, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980 "2007-06-06T13:13:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/1 "2007-06-06T13:13:00Z")
Just a quick question - would the mods be able to permanently remove any and all threads that I’ve started in the past? I’d like for them to be be unavailable even if someone does a specific search under my username. How would this work? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/2 "2007-06-06T13:59:29Z")
I think the policy here is “think before you post, because your messages will never bedeleted.” I had a previous request to remove an embarassing post of mine turned down. By asking to have your\* threads \*deleted, it’s unfair to others that took the time to write a response. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/3 "2007-06-06T14:01:39Z")
My guess is: they have the ability to, but they probably won’t unless you have a very, very good reason. This [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8637113#post8637113) in the pit discusses a little bit of why it can be a pain when people suddenly decide that what they’ve put out there shouldn’t be out there any more. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/4 "2007-06-06T14:06:35Z")
Thanks for the clarification. And what’s the official answer? Mods? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/5 "2007-06-06T15:10:39Z")
From the rules: > [@](#): > > Please remember that postings on this board are visible to anyone with access to the Internet, and are retained in a database indefinitely. Please do not post personal revelations or other information that may come back to haunt you. In particular, do not post your telephone number or address. If you have a particular concern, I recommend emailing an administrator, like **TubaDiva**. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/6 "2007-06-06T17:35:41Z")
[QUOTE=Book Monster] Just a quick question - would the mods be able to permanently remove any and all threads that I’ve started in the past? I’d like for them to be be unavailable even if someone does a specific search under my username. How would this work? Thanks. [/QUOTE] You are aware that, just by posting this, you have just prompted the teeming millions to do a search for all the threads that you have started, looking for something juicy? (didn’t find it, btw. Whatever it is that you need hidden is not that obvious) ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/7 "2007-06-06T19:33:59Z")
You don’t own the threads you’ve started. Other people might want to preserve the posts they’ve made in your threads. Their concerns override yours (failing a better explanation from you). ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/8 "2007-06-06T22:42:45Z")
[QUOTE=Book Monster] Thanks for the clarification. And what’s the official answer? Mods? [/QUOTE] We don’t erase posts. The times this has happened are too few to list on one hand. And they were almost literally life and death. The good news is, Google doesn’t scan the board. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/9 "2007-06-07T01:29:21Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] The times this has happened are too few to list on one hand. And they were almost literally life and death. [/QUOTE] Can there be _too few_ of something to list on one hand? Too many, easily, if the number exceeds five, but too few? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/10 "2007-06-07T02:16:05Z")
Sam has hooves. I’m not allowed to say any more. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/11 "2007-06-07T08:13:15Z")
Fair enough and thanks again for the clarification. I guess I’ll just have to be a bit more circumspect in future! ---
**Author:** ![Adoptamom\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Adoptamom\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adoptamom_II)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/12 "2007-06-07T10:15:48Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] The good news is, Google doesn’t scan the board. [/QUOTE] I’ve always wondered how/why this board flies under Google radar. Can you give me a brief explanation or point me in the right direction for an answer? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/13 "2007-06-07T10:28:11Z")
[QUOTE=Adoptamom\_II] I’ve always wondered how/why this board flies under Google radar. Can you give me a brief explanation or point me in the right direction for an answer? Thanks! [/QUOTE] One, the pages we read are generated dynamically by the database. I believe google would have to index the archive. I don’t know how much, if any, of a problem this presents. Two, there was concern when we were on the older, slower servers that the bots crawling the board would slow it down for human users. Three, once we got newer servers, the board went to the subscriber system. One of the benefits offered to subscribers was search. Allowing google to index the boards would take away that benefit, devaluing (if only slightly) the membership. Those are the issues as I recall them, I’m sure there are other takes. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/14 "2007-06-07T13:01:42Z")
Google is not allowed to"spider" the message board. That being said, you really should read the Rules, espescially this section: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/rules.php](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/rules.php)? \*\*Please remember that postings on this board are visible to anyone with access to the Internet, and are retained in a database indefinitely. Please do not post personal revelations or other information that may come back to haunt you. In particular, do not post your telephone number or address. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/15 "2007-06-07T18:40:25Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] Google is not allowed to"spider" the message board. That being said, you really should read the Rules, espescially this section: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/rules.php](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/rules.php)? \*\*Please remember that postings on this board are visible to anyone with access to the Internet, and are retained in a database indefinitely. Please do not post personal revelations or other information that may come back to haunt you. In particular, do not post your telephone number or address. \*\* [/QUOTE] Wow. I have been repeated by Tuba herself! Does that make her a coda of me?? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/16 "2007-06-07T18:48:01Z")
[QUOTE=Adoptamom\_II] I’ve always wondered how/why this board flies under Google radar. Can you give me a brief explanation or point me in the right direction for an answer? Thanks! [/QUOTE] In terms of strictly _how_ this board “flies under Google radar”, the answer is simple: if you put [a certain file](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robots_Exclusion_Standard) on your website telling Google’s robot not to go into certain parts of your site, then once the robot reads that file, it will voluntarily comply, staying away from whatever parts of your site you asked it to. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/17 "2007-06-07T20:42:40Z")
[QUOTE=Book Monster] Fair enough and thanks again for the clarification. I guess I’ll just have to be a bit more circumspect in future! [/QUOTE] You realize of course that a good number of us are now going to do a search for threads started by you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/18 "2007-06-07T20:44:56Z")
At least, all well-behaved robots will comply. Fortunately, Google’s robot is well-behaved, but it’s possible in principle for a naughty robot to crawl through anyway. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/19 "2007-06-07T21:12:23Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] At least, all well-behaved robots will comply. Fortunately, Google’s robot is well-behaved, but it’s possible in principle for a naughty robot to crawl through anyway. [/QUOTE] Naughty robots … :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Adoptamom\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Adoptamom\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adoptamom_II)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980/20 "2007-06-07T22:07:10Z")
Thanks for your explanations 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-old-threads/406980.md?page=2)