site request: let us delete threads

[nZtiZia]

we should be have the ability to delete our own threads as we can our own posts when we find them non-contributory. it can help reduce the clutter Jason

[GuidoK]

Deleting your own threads would mean you can delete posts of other members in that thread.

I think only a moderator should have that power...

[nZtiZia]

sometimes other members' posts are non-contributory, insulting, or derogatory; deleting threads can prevent the 'battles' that can ensue, but that's not the point.

a big problem with this forum is duplicate threads.

[GuidoK]

The moderation of other members posts should be handled by moderators, not members.
Moderators have the task to judge whether or not those posts are non-contributory etc or not and whether or not those posts should be removed.

I don't see a lot of duplicate threads, so I don't see it as a big problem.
The only valid solution could be that a member only can delete it's thread if no other members have posts in it.

[strohw]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

The only valid solution could be that a member only can delete it's thread if no other members have posts in it.

Which is how various other forums handle it and should be enabled.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

…
I don't see a lot of duplicate threads, so I don't see it as a big problem.
The only valid solution could be that a member only can delete it's thread if no other members have posts in it.

1) I went back to beginning of August. you don’t frequent the same forum sections I do which is why you don’t see the duplicate threads. just because you don’t see a problem, doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

2) that’s a consideration

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by strohw

and should be enabled.

Provided that it's possible within the vbulletin license they have.

Still, I don't see that much duplicate topics.
Can anyone give a current example of that right now?
I mean if it's a real problem, there should be multiple duplicate topics over multiple subforums right?


The only duplicate topics I frequently see are from spammers. And of course this won't solve that.

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

1) I went back to beginning of August. you don’t frequent the same forum sections I do which is why you don’t see the duplicate threads. just because you don’t see a problem, doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

So show me that subforum that is littered with duplicate topics

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

Provided that it's possible within the vbulletin license they have.

Still, I don't see that much duplicate topic.
Can anyone give a current example of that right now?
I mean if it's a real problem, there should be multiple duplicate topics over multiple subforums right?

The only duplicate topics I see are from spammers. And of course this won't solve that.

many of the duplicate threads I come across are started by newbs inquiring about their new vehicles. we encourage searching current threads for possible answers to queries before posting but it doesn’t happen

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

many of the duplicate threads I come across are started by newbs inquiring about their new vehicles. we encourage searching current threads for possible answers to queries before posting but it doesn’t happen

Ok, but I think you mean something else than duplicate threads.

Duplicate threads are threads spread over different subforums where a member opens the same topic with the same question.

What you're saying here (at least, how I understand it), is that members open topics with questions from which the answers can be found in other topics if they use the search.
Is that what you mean or am I misunderstanding you?

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

why should i? they’re there. search and ye shall find

eeuhhmmmm... you're the one that wants to make a point....
So that's why you should.
I'm asking for your help.

[nZtiZia]

I see the misunderstanding. kinda #2 but answers aren’t in different topics. multiple threads asking the same question are posted by different people, not #1 which is the same thread posted by one person in different subforums

[GuidoK]

So then how should the duality be handled where a newb asks a question that has already been asked?
The only way that TS will realise that is if someone answers in that topic that he should use the search.
So then there is a post of another member in that topic. So it's not an empty topic anymore.
And deleting topics that contain posts of other members is imho a moderator's task, not a members task.
Can you imagine that a TS deletes a topic that contains a discussion of 1000 posts? Just because he feels like it?

Anyway, these are not duplicate threads but similar threads.

[nZtiZia]

nobody should feel butt-hurt if a helpful thread (to him) was suddenly deleted by the OP. it’s happened to me many times in other groups. oh well, life goes on… I’ll now post my query to gain the help again and since the original thread had been deleted, there’s no similar thread “issue”

win-win

BTW why does the number of posts matter? a thread with 1000 posts doesn’t grant deletion immunity

[GuidoK]

It's not win-win.
I don't want my posts deleted by anyone save a moderator.
Like I said, can you imagine a topicstarter deleting a topic with a discussion with 1000 posts. Just because he feels like it?
That's not a situation I want and I don't think it's beneficial for the forum.

Some members here put a lot of efford in their posts, sometimes giving very very unique and very deep technical solutions to problems, which display a wealth of knowledge.
You want that knowledge to be preserved. What if the original TS after a few years think like...:"I don't have that car anymore, I'm gonna delete all those topics I started back then because they're not relevant to me anymore.."
It's very unwise to put that power in the hands of ordinairy members. Only moderators should have the power over the content of other members.

[nZtiZia]

and yet it’s ok if a moderator deleted that thread even if all your posts were in line with forum rules and contributory? i suspect no difference in your reaction whether deleted by a moderator or the OP

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

nobody should feel butt-hurt if a helpful thread (to

BTW why does the number of posts matter? a thread with 1000 posts doesn’t grant deletion immunity

That depends from who.
A discussion between a lot of people means it's the collective opinion of a lot of people.
Opening a topic doesn't mean you own that topic as a member. From then on it's owned by the forum.

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

and yet it’s ok if a moderator deleted that thread even if all your posts were in line with forum rules and contributory? i suspect no difference in your reaction whether deleted by a moderator or the OP

I don't think you understand the concept of moderation.
A moderator is appointed to have that authority. He/she acts on behalf of the owner, or is the owner of the forum.
Their word is final. And they decide if posts are within forum rules when push comes to shove.

[nZtiZia]

whether or not it’s final, you’ll still be bummed if a thread you found helpful was deleted regardless of who deleted it, but what’s helpful to you may not be the collective opinion of those who also posted in that thread

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

whether or not it’s final, you’ll still be bummed if a thread you found helpful was deleted regardless of who deleted it, but what’s helpful to you may not be the collective opinion of those who also posted in that thread

No, I'd have more peace if a moderator deleted it than 'some member'.
Certainly here. All moderators I've encounterd here are sane and discrete.
As for the members....looking back to when there was a politics section half of them are apparently utter morons...

[nZtiZia]

if I posted a thread asking a question only to find from another member’s post it’s been answered already in another thread, I’d be happy to delete my thread and refer to the other thread. this helps with keeping answers centrally located instead of piece-mealing different threads

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

if I posted a thread asking a question only to find from another member’s post it’s been answered already in another thread, I’d be happy to delete my thread and refer to the other thread. this helps with keeping answers centrally located instead of piece-mealing different threads

Yes I'd also like newbs not to open stupid topics with stupid questions that can easily be found with the search.
But that doesn't solve the duality and it's deeper consequences I posted.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

No, I'd have more peace if a moderator deleted it than 'some member'.
Certainly here. All moderators I've encounterd here are sane and discrete.
As for the members....looking back to when there was a politics section half of them are apparently utter morons...

TBH it would just be gone the next time you tried to refer to it. you wouldn’t even know who deleted it, so you wouldn’t have your peace

I heard about that politics section. I think it was deleted before I joined late 2020 or shortly after?

[cmyx6go]

Don't the mods merge repetitive, duplicate threads? They do in Off Topic. You can still see the thread, but it is redirected to the merged thread. I'm not sure if I've seen that in the actual model forums.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

you wouldn’t even know who deleted it, so you wouldn’t have your peace

No it's completely different. Now, when a topic gets deleted, or posts of you or a discussion in which you participated get deleted, you know that it's done by a moderator and not 'some member'.
And I have more confidence in the judgement of a moderator than a random member as I think all the ones that I know don't do random stupid things opposed to a lot of random members.
If a moderator deletes something, posts, an entire discussion or an entire topic, for me that says there was something wrong with that topic/those posts.
If a member (the topicstarter) can do that, I don't have that confidence.
I base that on my participation here over the last 10 years.
So for me it very much differs.