Deletion of Threads

May I enquire if there are any rules/guidelines set down for the moderators with regard to the deletion of threads? Are there any criteria which 'qualify' threads for deletion or is it purely and simply down to the discretion of the mods to delete whatever they like, whenever they like?

I can understand old threads with (for example) expired or broken links to something like an eBay item, being removed, but for threads which contain useful information which might have involved a certain amount of time, effort and research, and which might be a very good reference point to be removed without warning, seems a little mercenary.

Peter

[thirdgreenham]

"Mercenary" actually seems quite appropriate. lol

Usually, deletion of threads is at the discretion of the mods. If it's off topic or perhaps even dangerous to someone's reputation, they might delete it. If there's fighting within a thread, it could be locked or deleted. Maybe even someone asked for it to be deleted.

Who knows?

Andy

Originally Posted by thirdgreenham

"Mercenary" actually seems quite appropriate. lol

Usually, deletion of threads is at the discretion of the mods. If it's off topic or perhaps even dangerous to someone's reputation, they might delete it. If there's fighting within a thread, it could be locked or deleted. Maybe even someone asked for it to be deleted.

Who knows?

Andy

Hello Andy,

Your list of criteria seems all perfectly reasonable and fair, but what if none of those 'mortal sins' apply to a thread that has been deemed a suitable candidate for the gallows? Rather galling when searching for something you know is of 'value' only to find it as been taken out of the game for no apparent reason.

[Mike]

Nothing should be deleted that I am aware of except short threads on ebay items that have dead links (more than three months old) and nothing left of value without the link.

Everything else should just fall back down the 'queue' until it's required again for future reference.

In fact even deleting short ebay 'opinion' threads is probably not worth the effort, they'll just disappear into the mass of archive material!

[Mike]

I forgot to add the sales/wanted ads get deleted after about 2 months. If it's not long enough just give your thread/item a 'bump' when appropriate.

[Mike]

I don't delete anything apart from the sales ads as above, Plus anything rule infringing - it's been a while regarding that latter sort of stuff, copyright was the last problem I think, but was deleted by the poster.

Originally Posted by Mike

Nothing should be deleted that I am aware of except short threads on ebay items that have dead links (more than three months old) and nothing left of value without the link.

Everything else should just fall back down the 'queue' until it's required again for future reference.

In fact even deleting short ebay 'opinion' threads is probably not worth the effort, they'll just disappear into the mass of archive material!

Mike,

Thanks for this.

Just to say; there are threads I am unable to locate which I know to have been accessible only a short time ago. To the best of my memory, these are (or rather, were) threads which were not ads, had no dead links and no 'controversial' content.

It goes without saying that this is not my forum and that how it is moderated is absolutely none of my business, but it kind of makes me feel that if:

a) threads are being deleted (seemingly) arbitrarily
b) subjects of past discussion disappear without a trace
c) time-consuming research that has been shared with the forum cannot be located

...bothering to post/contribute in the first place feels like a complete exercise in futility.

Without wishing to sound like a complete twonk (yeah, yeah I know, way too late ), if this is happening, might it not be a reasonable idea to at least give some sort of notice before threads are deleted, so that anything considered of value to the those searching, might be salvaged before the bailiffs arrive?

PJ

One other point: of late, I have noticed that my number of posts (as shown on the profile page as 'Total Posts') has been decreasing. It makes no difference to me how many posts I have made, but what does intrigue me is why this number has been diminishing. Evidently, some of my posts must have been removed... why?

[Alan O]

I have been filing the General Section posts into their relevent sections: hence the moved annotations. For example where there is a thread about the Liverpool pals it went into the Infantry section, yeomanry topics into the Cavalry section, a/a in to the anodised section and so on. The key words are then added to enable easy referencing and all moved threads have a timed redirection notification so they can still be found for a period after its move.

Where threads are no longer readable (such as when a photo has been removed rendering the thread useless or when it is a post such as 'please give me a PM' then they have been removed too. Canadian badges are put in the Canadian section and so on. Duplicate photos resulting from 'quote' rather than reply have been weeded out to shorten the page and enable easier reading. However every effort has been made to retain all of the information provided by the forum and when in doubt I have erred on the side of caution and left the thread there.

I would ask that users self moderate here and do try and post where the information is of most use.

Originally Posted by Alan O

I have been filing the General Section posts into their relevent sections: hence the moved annotations. For example where there is a thread about the Liverpool pals it went into the Infantry section, yeomanry topics into the Cavalry section, a/a in to the anodised section and so on. The key words are then added to enable easy referencing and all moved threads have a timed redirection notification so they can still be found for a period after its move.

Where threads are no longer readable (such as when a photo has been removed rendering the thread useless or when it is a post such as 'please give me a PM' then they have been removed too. Canadian badges are put in the Canadian section and so on. Duplicate photos resulting from 'quote' rather than reply have been weeded out to shorten the page and enable easier reading. However every effort has been made to retain all of the information provided by the forum and when in doubt I have erred on the side of caution and left the thread there.

I would ask that users self moderate here and do try and post where the information is of most use.

So just going back briefly... are there any rules/guidelines (official or otherwise) set down for the moderators with regard to the deletion of threads? Can mods delete whatever they like, whenever they like?

With thanks,

Peter.

Just found this post by Mike, which I now remember reading at the time:

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...11&postcount=1

Originally Posted by Alan O

I have been filing the General Section posts into their relevent sections: hence the moved annotations. For example where there is a thread about the Liverpool pals it went into the Infantry section, yeomanry topics into the Cavalry section, a/a in to the anodised section and so on. The key words are then added to enable easy referencing and all moved threads have a timed redirection notification so they can still be found for a period after its move.

Where threads are no longer readable (such as when a photo has been removed rendering the thread useless or when it is a post such as 'please give me a PM' then they have been removed too. Canadian badges are put in the Canadian section and so on. Duplicate photos resulting from 'quote' rather than reply have been weeded out to shorten the page and enable easier reading. However every effort has been made to retain all of the information provided by the forum and when in doubt I have erred on the side of caution and left the thread there.

I would ask that users self moderate here and do try and post where the information is of most use.

Alan, I assume 'filing' would not cause a post or thread [as was] to disappear off the search radar, by which I mean that if I was previously able to find a post or a thread using a particular search criterion that had produced results prior to 'filing', that that criterion should still produce the post and/or thread to which it applies?

With thanks,

Peter

[Alan O]

The thread's name stays the same with the same details so yes the search results remains the same although clearly it now sits in the most relevent forum so any sub-search of that forum is refined. The use of tags further eases the search.

Is there a particular topic you are looking for?

Alan

Originally Posted by Alan O

The thread's name stays the same with the same details so yes the search results remains the same although clearly it now sits in the most relevent forum so any sub-search of that forum is refined. The use of tags further eases the search.

Is there a particular topic you are looking for?

Alan

Alan,

There have been several which I no longer seem to be able to find - perhaps my ability to use the search facility is not as honed as I had thought.

That said, the search words I had used many times previously to locate the material I needed (within more than one thread) worked a treat. They seem now to be totally redundant.

Peter.

[Phil2M]

Hi Alan,

A thread that I can no longer find, which used to be very easily located with a simple search for 'Winchester' is one about the trip a few of us did down there back in 2011. There were pictures, taken by Orasot, of Rifle Brigade memorials and insignia along with a group photo of us all. It was my first forum meet up so I am a bit disappointed that I can no longer find the thread.

Any ideas?

Regards,

Phil

[Alan O]

Phil,

Not one that would need re-categorising as its off topic.

If 'tags' could be more widely used by the a thread author then the search facility is much more efficient.

Alan