# "Make my thread disappear"-Is it unusual that this board doesn't work that way? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 17, 2025, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711 "2025-03-17T08:09:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/41 "2025-03-21T17:06:00Z")
Hiding my anti Trump position is not on the list of things I might want removed from the SDMB. I said what I said. I stand by what I said. I will continue to keep saying it as loudly as possible for as long as I am able. ETA- I also said the same things on any social media site I belong to. Some of those do use my real name. If Trump wants to find me, it will not be through the SDMB. Oh, **LouMa** You have not answered the questions I asked you earlier in this post > [@"Make my thread disappear"-Is it unusual that this board doesn't work that way?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/34): > > Does the SDMB record my IP address? Do I use a VPN? How exactly and precisely will they do that? Again, those messages were clearly sent from his phone. I rarely surf the web on my phone. Again, DocCathode is not my real name. Additionally, all of this is beside the point. When you joined the SDMB, you agreed to the rules. If you did not read them first (I admit that I didn’t), that is your problem and not a problem with the rules. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/42 "2025-03-21T17:08:57Z")
If the pre-trump rumors and leaks about NSA are to be believed, everything that’s ever been posted anywhere is already in their cache. The SDMB could be comprehensively erased tomorrow and all our “incriminating evidence” is already in their can. Besides, police states don’t really care all that much about evidence. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/43 "2025-03-21T17:42:18Z")
[quote=““Make my thread disappear”-Is it unusual that this board doesn’t work that way?, post:34, topic:1015711”] Does the SDMB record my IP address? Do I use a VPN? How exactly and precisely will they do that? [/quote] I cannot give you the answer to your questions for the simple reason that I am not working for the US domestic intelligence agency. If you ask them I am sure they will be able to explain their procedures. Concerning the rules: well yes you didn’t read them otherwise you knew that they don’t disclose that your threads stay forever and you cannot cancel your account. But never mind, you can always take precautions. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/44 "2025-03-21T17:44:28Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Besides, police states don’t really care all that much about evidence. Very much this. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/45 "2025-03-21T18:01:29Z")
> [@LouMa](#): > > I cannot give you the answer to your questions for the simple reason that I am not working for the US domestic intelligence agency. If you ask them I am sure they will be able to explain their procedures. So you cannot say whether or no the SDMB records my IP address? You also have not even the vaguest details about how the government will track me down based on my posts on the SDMB? But you remain sure that it will happen? Is that right? > [@LouMa](#): > > Concerning the rules: well yes you didn’t read them otherwise you knew that they don’t disclose that your threads stay forever and you cannot cancel your account. A quick look at your profile reveals you joined November 24 2024. > [@Ed Zotti](#): > > We do not delete posts or threads solely because the poster (including the thread starter) or subject of the post or thread finds it problematic or no longer wishes to be associated with the SDMB. From this thread > [@SDMB rules 9/12/2023](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-rules-9-12-2023/990013/1): > > SDMB rules have been further reorganized. A draft restatement is provided below for comment. Please note: We have attempted to eliminate redundancy and consolidate all rules on one topic in the same place. Rules are organized alphabetically by topic. Cross references are provided where appropriate. The message board software does not support intra-post hyperlinks, but lookup is reasonably easy using search. We have put a few informal rules in writing – see for example “artificial intelligence… Note the date in the title 09-12-2023 Also They do know and record IP addresses > [@SDMB rules 9/12/2023](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-rules-9-12-2023/990013/2): > > **IP number.** We log your Internet address (IP number) each time you post. The IP number tells us your Internet service provider. We reserve the right to reveal the IP numbers and e-mail address (but no other confidential information) of chronic SDMB rule violators to other bulletin board operators. We do this to identify guests registering under multiple screen names. One of our third-party advertising providers, Google, uses IP numbers to customize ads served up to SDMB users. I hadn’t read that particular section of the rules recently. It is clearly and plainly stated. For the record- There is in fact a mention of closing your account. > [@SDMB rules 9/12/2023](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-rules-9-12-2023/990013/1): > > You are responsible for all action taken using your account, whether authorized by you or not, until you either close your account or notify us that your account has been compromised. Note that nowhere in the rules does it expand on this or say how your account can be cancelled. If that was a concern, the prudent thing would have been to e-mail a mod or admin before joining or to join and immediately start a thread in ATMB asking how to cancel your account if necessary. On Preview **LouMa** If you agree, and you just did, that “police states don’t really care all that much about evidence.” why would they even bother to track down my posts here? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/46 "2025-03-21T18:43:00Z")
@DocCathode, I’m not sure where your antagonism is coming from. **LouMa** is correct that IP addresses are tracked here (as you found in the TOS), and that an IP address can be used to identify you. If you use a VPN, then great for you, but note that the SDMB actively discourages the use of VPNs to access the site, so it’s not a great solution for everyone (anyone?). As we have seen in the last few weeks, worrying about consequences from our online presence is no longer paranoia. I personally won’t modify my behavior here because I have too few fucks to give anymore, but everyone should be making their own decision with a clear understanding of what can happen. Being antagonistic to people with questions doesn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/47 "2025-03-21T19:12:56Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > ’m not sure where your antagonism is coming from. I wouldn’t call it antagonism. It’s more that I am annoyed. > [@TroutMan](#): > > **LouMa** is correct that IP addresses are tracked here (as you found in the TOS), and that an IP address can be used to identify you. That is _not_ what they said- > [@LouMa](#): > > Your IP address leads directly to you, lest you use VPN or you log into your neighbour’s IP. In fact those who want to find you, will. I asked (this was before I looked at the rules) > [@DocCathode](#): > > Does the SDMB record my IP address? Do I use a VPN? **LouMa** never actually answered my question. I answered my own question when I quoted the rules. **LouMa** did go on to say > [@LouMa](#): > > Concerning the rules: well yes you didn’t read them otherwise you knew that they don’t disclose that your threads stay forever and you cannot cancel your account. But never mind, you can always take precautions. As the quote from the rules proves- it does indeed say that. > [@SDMB rules 9/12/2023](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-rules-9-12-2023/990013/1): > > We do not delete posts or threads solely because the poster (including the thread starter) or subject of the post or thread finds it problematic or no longer wishes to be associated with the SDMB. > [@TroutMan](#): > > As we have seen in the last few weeks, worrying about consequences from our online presence is no longer paranoia. As I have previously posted, every anti Trump thing I have posted on the SDMB I have posted in other places, sometimes under my real name. I have also said the same anti Trump things, repeatedly and at length, to plenty of people off line. Deleting the entirety of the SDMB- every thread and every post ever will not save me. > [@TroutMan](#): > > I personally won’t modify my behavior here because I have too few fucks to give anymore, but everyone should be making their own decision with a clear understanding of what can happen I agree. I joined twenty five years ago in simpler times. The rules ( I don’t want to search for a post from the year 2000 with the then current rules) were fewer and simpler. Even then, I assumed that my posts would be online at least as long as the Dope endured. > [@LouMa](#): > > I didn’t realize that when I joined the SDMB this was for life, that my account cannot be closed That does bug me a bit. It says in the rules that your posts will not be deleted. It also says in the rules that they record IP addresses. **LouMa** could have answered my question about IP addresses by quoting the rules. I could be wrong, but it seems they still have not read them. > [@TroutMan](#): > > Being antagonistic to people with questions doesn’t help. You have a point. I have been rather antagonistic lately ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/48 "2025-03-22T19:33:50Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Note that nowhere in the rules does it expand on this or say how your account can be cancelled. If you wish to have your account closed, just contact any moderator. Note that this will only remove your posting privileges here. It will not remove your posts. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/49 "2025-03-22T22:04:21Z")
I’m only familiar with Delphi. I just logged into an old account and deleted a thread. You don’t need the mods to disappear your posts if you can do it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/50 "2025-03-22T22:26:55Z")
I agree when it comes to debates, but people also post personal things here. It’s a niche board that used to feel somewhat private even though it was on the internet, because it wasn’t a place the average person would stumble across by accident. Now things people said to online friends 20 years ago might pop up in a search engine. It’s not going to be catastrophic if someone deletes a thread from 2002 where they vented about their ex-wife. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/51 "2025-03-23T12:05:47Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > So you cannot say whether or no the SDMB records my IP address? Of course they do. I’m a software professional, specifically in web & mobile. Every site/app collects your IP address, its just standard logging. No one really does much with it except to analyse stats to determine what country you live in. And that matters occasionally. If you are interested - and I can assure you boredom will set in soon - here is a random cite: > **[A Web server log file explained](https://www.jafsoft.com/searchengines/log_sample.html)** > > A web server log fragment explained Also note: your IP address only says what IP you were allocated at the time you visited..It can totally randomly fluctuate, very few people bother to get a fixed IP on their internet connection. If you want, try IP Chicken, my goto site. See how often your IP changes. (My favourite is the NSFW “moan my IP” which has the numbers read out porn star style, but I’m not linkig that here…) > **[IP Chicken - Free Public IP Address Lookup](https://www.ipchicken.com/)** > > Discover your public IP address instantly with IP Chicken. Fast and free IP lookup service. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/52 "2025-03-23T12:48:07Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > which has the numbers read out porn star style, Why ?! ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/53 "2025-03-23T12:50:56Z")
I mean… this is the internet. Why not? At a guess, I’d say some young network engineer back in the early 2000s thought it was fumny. I did, when I was a young software developer. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/54 "2025-03-23T13:24:13Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > No one really does much with it except to analyse stats to determine what country you live in So let’s say, if anybody writes some not really flattering comments about the President and/or his highly esteemed Copresident Musk in the SDMB and this is considered as terrorism by the President, it will be possible to find out who this person is and where they live? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/55 "2025-03-23T14:54:38Z")
Yes. If they care _enough_, they can find out. You could teleport to the wilds of Alaska and live like an 1800s fur trapper utterly off-grid out of all contact from civilization. And if they wanted to expend enough effort, and it would be a lot, they could find you. You seem to be seeking a certainty of reassurance that makes no sense. In a post-legal country, there are no rules, and no trustworthy _anything_. So no point in asking if X bad outcome is possible. It is. As to server logs with IPs, any sensible organization has a deliberately chosen records retention policy for those logs. Maybe they keep them a week, maybe a year, maybe forever. But they _should_ be keeping them a particular time interval for a particular reason. Which reasons _may_ include that the law in their local jurisdiction requires them to be kept for X duration. And requires them to be handed over to law enforcement upon a request with Y amount of legal / judicial oversight. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/56 "2025-03-23T16:36:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > You seem to be seeking a certainty of reassurance that makes no sense. In a post-legal country, there are no rules, and no trustworthy _anything_. So no point in asking if X bad outcome is possible. It is. Thanks. It was not so much a certainty of reassurance I was looking for as the confirmation of what I had guessed already. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/57 "2025-03-23T17:39:08Z")
> [@LouMa](#): > > So let’s say, if anybody writes some not really flattering comments about the President and/or his highly esteemed Copresident Musk in the SDMB and this is considered as terrorism by the President, it will be possible to find out who this person is and where they live? Don’t do it on a desktop, a laptop or mobile connected to your home internet connection. There are certain tells aside from IP, so use a burner phone. But yes, it is trivial to increase complexity. Using a VPN in another country is a good start. It gets untraceable with something like the Tor network, as long as you are very careful. I think the Copresident would be a worse threat, although both have an incredibly juvenile attitude to insults, Musk would follow through and Trump would just be distracted by the next shiny gold squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/58 "2025-03-23T18:02:34Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > There are certain tells aside from IP, so use a burner phone. I like the county library from a city about 1,000 miles from home. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/59 "2025-03-23T22:00:53Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > Of course they do. I’m a software professional, specifically in web & mobile. Every site/app collects your IP address, its just standard logging. No one really does much with it except to analyse stats to determine what country you live in. And that matters occasionally. If you are interested - and I can assure you boredom will set in soon - here is a random cite: I already posted above that the SDMB rules do indeed say they log IP addresses. I quoted the relevant section. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711/60 "2025-03-24T17:15:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@scudsucker](#): > > > > There are certain tells aside from IP, so use a burner phone. > > I like the county library from a city about 1,000 miles from home. That works well to preserve your privacy, but isn’t great if you want to read the dope a bit as you wind down for bed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-my-thread-disappear-is-it-unusual-that-this-board-doesnt-work-that-way/1015711.md?page=4)