editing with reputation
As explained in one of our threads those with sufficient reputation can edit someone else's thread. (I'm not sure that I agree with that concept).
Anyway, I believe that I read in another post that someone had inadvertantly erased someone's thread and was trying to undo that action.
I believe that I may have also inadvertantly erased someone's thread.
To avoid such action could someone provide some insights into how to undo those mistakes. (I know that few thing on this site are truly "deleted".) For instance, all of my deleted email from the last site version has been resurrected.
A related question: Can you erase comments?
There is a delete button after the comments. One would suppose that button is to delete your comment if you believe it may have contained an error or if you mispoke, but I think in reality that button deletes the reply or thread (if you're commenting on the original post). If so, that was a VERY poor choice for placement of the button or incomplete labeling of the button..
Regardless, if you have deleted someone's reply or an entire thread, how do you undo the action? (where's the wastebasket and how do you Restore from it?)
My apologies to whomever that I erased their thread (if it didn't just move it) and I'll get it restored as soon as I find out how to do so.
Some explanation of to what extent someone with reputation can edit someone else's thread might be needed. I am suprised, if indeed, we can delete someone else's entire thread rather than just modify it.
I don't even want the ability to modify someone elses thread. If they can't see their original mistake, how do they learn from it?
4 Answers
I agree, Quentin. I have the ability to edit others' posts, but I refuse to do so. I would only do it to remove obscene or offensive content in the absence of an Administrator.
The "Delete" button on the Comments does not work. I discussed this last night with Toph, and he said it was a bug that it even appeared there. I raised the issue of being able to delete/edit our own comments, and he said they are working on that. I think it is ironic that I can edit other people's questions and answers, but I have no ability to edit/remove my own Comments. Last night I accidentally hit Return before I finished editing/typing my Comment, and there it is now, indelibly etched for everyone to gawk at. I had to type a new, completed comment below the first one.
How do you erase an entire thread, anyway? This is strange. I cannot think of what you could have done to "move" it or anything else. I hope they get to the bottom of this, and the other situation, soon. Be sure to give them the info (maybe PM Toph) about thread name, OP, etc., if you can. Be aware, though, that they are not at full staff on the weekend.
Thank you very much for the explanation. I was relieved to read it. I''ll search for the thread. Maybe I just lost track of it when I was returned to the list of topics.
I'm glad to hear that we should not be able to delete any threads willy nilly.
I don't want someone gunning for me because I deleted his thread (accidentally or not).
Flagging is bad enough.
qfreed said:
So I am assuming that the delete button is for the thread (consulta) and not for the comment (comentario)
If so, then I deleted someones post (as I was commenting on the original post) when I tried to delete my comment.
Let's hope that I'm misinterpreting all of this.
I think you are. I tried to delete a comment of mine last night, and I would get that "Are you sure you want to delete this post?" confirmation box. Clicking "OK" only took me back to the main page of the Answers section, but the thread, the post, and my comment were all still there. I tried this several times, and then PM'd Toph about it, and he told me what I wrote in my previous answer, that it does nothing, and that it shouldn't even be there. Then we talked about the irony of being able to edit other people's questions and answers, but not our own comments. My messed up comment is still there.
Look at Lazarus's Reference article on the alphabet (probably on Page 2 by now). I posted a comment there today, and then couldn't delete it after he considered my comment and edited the article. So I posted another one asking an Admin to delete them both.
I think you're safe, Q. Unless they have endowed you with some Super Senior Member Quasi Official Assistant Software Guy powers that the rest of us don't have. Have you tried searching for the thread you think you deleted??
The problem (for me) arose with the mouseover hint that the delete button (link) calls. (I can't see it now, because my page is "en español" and if I change it to English it deletes what I have written so far.
Looking at the Spanish, I think it says something like: Are you sure that you wish to erase this post?
Which post? The comment or the thread upon which I am commenting? Since you can't erase the comment, I believe that it means the post that you are commenting on. If so, the button should never have been placed with the comment. It doesn't even appear until after you have commented.
In Spanish the mouseover hint (called by the delete button) is:
¿Estás seguro que quieras borrar esta consultaría?
The comment (comentarios) button states: Los comentarios son para añadir observaciónes cortos a una consulta.
So I am assuming that the delete button is for the thread (consulta) and not for the comment (comentario)
If so, then I deleted someones post (as I was commenting on the original post) when I tried to delete my comment.
Let's hope that I'm misinterpreting all of this.
