@am0s asked:
Can we mere mortals get sufficient authority to delete/purge our own posts?
@fasttimes responded:
Personally I think it’s a bad idea to be able to delete topics that are created. If someone responds to it, they have invested time in it and it should remain.
@moonknight agreed with @mikk1:
good point @moonknight - I’m going to guess that is wise from a content preservation standpoint.
Very good distinction, @mikk1 @fasttimes and @Ma-Barker - would not like a person to purposely delete a thread that had useful content.
My understanding is that we should not delete and purge our own posts and replies, even though we have the capability to do so via the three dots menu, as @elguache pointed out.
Main reasons why, as explained to me by @fivetalents:
Posterity (Content Preservation)
The history of deals is a valuable resource, a rich source of information that allows members to compare current deals with previously-posted deals when considering whether a new deal is worth posting/pursuing, or is even a deal at all (has this item/service ever been priced this low before; is this deal unique to this store, or do other stores offer similar deals; did members like the previous deal by up-voting or commenting on it; did anyone point out anything wrong with the item/service/deal, etc.).
In addition, posts provide a wealth of statistical information, such as how many people viewed the post vs. how many replied or voted (often, numerous lurkers will benefit from a deal but never offer any comments/feedback or show appreciation to the OP for finding such a great deal).
Censorship
Members don’t like seeing posts and threads disappearing mysteriously: it reeks of censorship/revisionism, and creates an uncomfortable environment.
What would be most helpful for ensuring the integrity and preservation of all posts, while keeping page submissions as current as possible, would be for @dangeRuss to eliminate the delete/purge options from the three dots menu and replace them with the option “Mark this deal as expired”, thereby allowing members to safely archive their own posts and reduce the workload of the moderators.
