# How to self-delete a post. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 1, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942 "2015-03-01T17:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Toastmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Toastmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toastmaker)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/1 "2015-03-01T17:52:01Z")
Either I am missing it or there is no way to delete a post one has made - even quickly after making it ? May I know how to do this or why it is not available ? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/2 "2015-03-01T17:56:39Z")
Nope. Editing aside, it’s permanent for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/3 "2015-03-01T17:56:55Z")
You can’t exactly delete it, but you can edit it to contain nothing but _never mind_ as long as you are within the five minute edit window. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/4 "2015-03-01T19:09:34Z")
as for why you can’t delete a post, the purpose of the SDMB is to foster discussions. If you choose to post something, and someone responds to you, it would make the discussion hard to follow if you were to go back and delete your post. The five minute edit window is to allow you to correct “oopsies”, and has **Shodan** has said, you can delete the whole thing if you do so within five minutes. It’s customary to put something in like “never mind” or just “nm”. But if you miss the edit window, only a moderator can then edit it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/5 "2015-03-01T19:41:54Z")
> [@Toastmaker](#): > > Either I am missing it or there is no way to delete a post one has made - even quickly after making it ? > > May I know how to do this or why it is not available ? Thanks. For 5 minutes after you make a post, there is an “edit” button on the bottom right of your post. Hit it, and you can edit your post, including wiping it out completely. It will still show that you posted, even if your post now has no content. After 5 minutes, you need to contact a mod. Only in rare circumstances will they delete your post, though. Usually, they will help if you made an obvious mistake, like screwed up the quote function. ---
**Author:** ![Toastmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Toastmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toastmaker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/6 "2015-03-02T00:07:35Z")
Ok, thanks for the info. When posting a bone-headed response, I’ve got five min. to recover my senses and convert it to "never mind. . " That’ll work - thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/7 "2015-03-02T02:07:43Z")
> [@Toastmaker](#): > > Ok, thanks for the info. When posting a bone-headed response, I’ve got five min. to recover my senses and convert it to "never mind. . " > That’ll work - thanks. And even if you do that, it’s _not uncommon_ for someone else to see and respond to your post before you finish editing (or “nm’ing”) it. Thus, we sometimes see posts that seem to respond to something that nobody upthread has said. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/8 "2015-03-02T02:54:55Z")
My workaround is to make each post so fatuous that it’s quickly forgotten, if ever read in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/9 "2015-03-02T03:53:39Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/10 "2015-03-02T04:01:17Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > It’s customary to put something in like “never mind” or just “nm”. Me personally, I like “nm” best. Quick and concise. No wasted keystrokes. Well, none except for all the ones I just deleted. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/11 "2015-03-02T04:05:47Z")
Or, you can just post: “Emily Litella”. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/12 "2015-03-02T05:08:19Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Me personally, I like “nm” best. Quick and concise. No wasted keystrokes. Well, none except for all the ones I just deleted. 😃 I _knew_ it! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/13 "2015-03-19T20:50:47Z")
I use “nvm”, being as “nm” typically means “no message”. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Or, you can just post: “Emily Litella”. Or “ELWH” (“Emily Litella Was Here”). ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/14 "2015-03-20T01:37:04Z")
If you’ve accidentally posted something sensitive and missed the edit window, you can click the report button on your post and ask the mods to remove whatever it was. Don’t abuse this, and don’t do it just because you changed your mind or something, it’s the emergency option, last resort, and they aren’t obligated to do this in any event, so ask nicely. Or you could start posting spam and make an alt account and hope you get both accounts banned and your posts all sent to the cornfield. You could, but don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/15 "2015-03-20T01:58:09Z")
> [@Toastmaker](#): > > Ok, thanks for the info. When posting a bone-headed response, I’ve got five min. to recover my senses and convert it to "never mind. . " > That’ll work - thanks. How about just waiting 5 minutes and decide first if its a bone headed response. I garuntee that if you get into a habit of alot of ‘nm’ posts - its going to get noticed. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/16 "2015-03-20T02:17:03Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > nm Waah. That’s what I was going to do. ---
**Author:** ![spotify92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@spotify92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spotify92)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/17 "2015-03-20T22:58:48Z")
> [@Toastmaker](#): > > Ok, thanks for the info. When posting a bone-headed response, I’ve got five min. to recover my senses and convert it to "never mind. . " > That’ll work - thanks. Since you can’t delete a post, if you wanted it deleting, could you just report your own post to a moderator, and then they’ll delete the post? Or is this too time consuming? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/18 "2015-03-20T23:07:20Z")
> [@spotify92](#): > > Since you can’t delete a post, if you wanted it deleting, could you just report your own post to a moderator, and then they’ll delete the post? Or is this too time consuming? :smack: The moderators usually won’t delete posts, even if the person who wrote them asks them to, unless there’s some compelling reason (e.g. you’ve posted something that could get you into legal trouble). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/19 "2015-03-21T01:33:03Z")
A simple workaround might be to go to every computer in the world and apply whiteout to the area of each screen where your words would appear. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942/21 "2015-03-21T22:08:40Z")
> [@JamesW](#): > > If you are banned as you mentioned, why do all your posts get sent to cornfield? 😕 Won’t that disrupt threads contributed to so they don’t make sense? That only happens for spammers, and they rarely contribute enough to be confusing. The posts of regular posters who get banned don’t get disappeared. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-self-delete-a-post/713942.md?page=2)