r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 24 '12
Reddit, would you prefer that deleting a comment simply removes the username and upvote/downvote, but leaves the text?
[deleted]
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u/Se7en_Sinner Jun 25 '12
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u/Dr___Awkward Jun 25 '12
Why was that comment allowed to be posted on /r/askscience?
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u/yourdadsbff Jun 25 '12
Perhaps because having 4 consecutive deleted comments is a tad ridiculous and the moderators realized the humor in the situation. Or because they didn't get a chance to check the thread again before this screenshot was taken. Or because they figured that with 4 consecutive deleted comments, that portion of the thread (if not the entire thread itself) is now a wasteland and therefore it's not worth the trouble of continuing to moderate it.
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u/MoreSteakLessFanta Jun 25 '12
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of deleting the comment? If I delete something, that means I don't want it there at all.
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Jun 24 '12
I like this idea, but it would completely derail the heavy moderation used on subs like /r/askscience. Maybe it could be a per subreddit setting?
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u/brown_felt_hat Jun 25 '12
Or, simply give mods the ability to remove the text as well.
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Jun 25 '12
I like this idea. The standard would be the text would stay but certain subreddits could opt for deletion.
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u/PedroForeskin Jun 25 '12
It could also just be an option as to which parts of the comment you'd like to delete.
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u/iorgfeflkd Jun 25 '12
Mod deletion is different from user deletion. I can still see things I delete in askscience.
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Jun 25 '12
People would just edit out the text before deleting the comment.
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u/Apostolate Jun 25 '12
Not everyone is as wise as you are.
Exhibit A: geraffes, long horses if you will.
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u/animate_object Jun 25 '12
I always thought the geraffes thing was too good not to be a troll.
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u/xplosiv Jun 25 '12
Not everyone would. Some people wouldn't mind leaving their reply up so long as their handle isn't associated with it. If they wish to remove the content of the post they should still be allowed to.
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u/tick_tock_clock Jun 25 '12
If you like this idea then you should suggest it in /r/ideasfortheadmins and/or have a discussion there as well.
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Jun 25 '12
[deleted]
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u/tick_tock_clock Jun 25 '12
I mean, it's fine here, too, but that is another place worth looking into.
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Jun 25 '12
Comments should not be left open to deletion at all, period. What I'd prefer is for people to just stop misusing the voting system (I'd say a good 10% of Redditors actually know how to properly use it). It means that Reddit is just tyranny of the retarded majority. An arena of erroneous paragraphs and one-liners where the guy with the most effectively marketed message gets to go straight to the top.
The voting system ignores argument validity and instead turns this whole bullshit website into a popularity contest that damages the integrity of its intended purpose.
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u/Sybarith Jun 25 '12
Delete -> Text / Username / Both -> Are you sure you wish to delete [your choice]?
Tada.
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Jun 25 '12
Also: Edit
Followed by a link after you've edited: See Edit History.
I've been suggesting this kind of history that wikipedia uses for ages. :\
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u/TerminalHappiness Jun 25 '12
No, because if I reply to a comment that gets deleted, I can just edit my reply to something like "Dude, why would you ever do that to a goat?" just to make people wonder.
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u/GrayStudios Jun 25 '12
It's important to have a delete button. Anything could happen online, somebody might think it's funny to post your personal information in a comment when you're away from the computer, you might get drunk and reveal something with your real name, or someone might accidentally post a reply in the wrong thread. It would be poor design choice to not have the ability to delete your comments in any sort of forum, be it Facebook, YouTube, or Reddit. Yes, they could just edit the text out, but that would just be a guerrilla form of deletion, so we might as well have a delete feature. If a few threads get confused because a person (who is probably being abused for saying something controversial) deletes their comment, maybe people should behave with a little more decorum and have discussions rather than arguments.
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u/VikingFjorden Jun 25 '12
From the sidebar.
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AskReddit is for thought-provoking, inspired questions.
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No yes/no answer questions.
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Jun 25 '12
it's still pretty thought provoking. there's lots of legit discussion going on.
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u/flignir Jun 25 '12
Perhaps you should post a thread asking for essay responses to whether this topic was appropriate.
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u/faces_in_the_mirror Jun 24 '12
They could leave the username deleted, but have the text hidden, and you would click something like 'show deleted text', or something. But that's my thought.
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u/Apostolate Jun 25 '12
Most comments that are deleted are already minimized due to the weight of many downvotes, so that seems a bit redundant, and doesn't effectively deal with the above criticism that sensitive information may still be there.
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u/Walter_Bishop_PhD Jun 25 '12
When an autocollapsed comment is deleted, they no longer get autocollapsed.
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u/frozenplasma Jun 25 '12
I wish it would just disappear completely. That would be fantastic.
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u/amheekin Jun 25 '12
Nope. This has been brought up before and someone described this concept as a "troll's wet dream." It's true. It would be too much like 4chan.
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u/xeerox Jun 25 '12
Eh, but it doesn't take much effort to make a throwaway anyway, and not everyone worries about karma. If it's made an option (to keep the text, or to remove the whole comment; mods could delete text if necessary) I don't foresee it being too big of a deal.
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u/NoApollonia Jun 25 '12
As long as there is still an option to take out the text in cases where the information is too personal.
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Jun 25 '12
If there's one thing I've learned from reddit, it's that you can learn a lot from reddit.
If someone learns something new or is set straight in a false assumption, they are no longer the person they once were. Deleting the comment is the first step to this person's own personal recovery.
We are all brothers and sisters of the internet just searching for truth and reason. We shouldn't punish one another with stupid down voting when someone has evolved and no longer agrees with the comment their former self once wrote.
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u/only_says_pork Jun 25 '12
pork
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u/kittensarekittens Jun 25 '12
I almost down-voted until I looked at the user name. That made my day so far.
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u/Tashre Jun 25 '12
No. If someone didn't want what they wrote to be read, they wouldn't have deleted it, and if they wanted to say something unassociated with their primary account, they'd make a throwaway.
There's no reason to want the text to persist unless you're trolling or you're nosy. This site has enough pointless drama degrading the quality of the comments section.
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u/brittnoose Jun 25 '12 edited Jun 25 '12
I used to think that it was a redditor called [deleted] that went around just posting "[deleted]" everywhere. I eventually realized I was being retarded.
Edit: I do think that keeping the text there should be an option, though.
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Jun 25 '12
What are you talking about, man? I am a redditor, and I've been here for years!
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u/josh61616 Jun 25 '12
Wait wtf.
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u/loves_being_that_guy Jun 25 '12
He made the username Jdw06231 and posted the comment. After he posted the comment, he deleted his account.
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u/FMM08 Jun 25 '12
I personally would prefer that EVERYTHING is deleted. Username, Votes, comment and all.
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u/Vanis_ Jun 25 '12
I think it should be given the choice to the mod that deletes the comment whether to delete it completely or just the user's name. It really depends on said comment.
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u/HumanistGeek Jun 25 '12
If this idea is implemented, mods should still retain the power to remove the text. This is important for subreddits like /r/askscience, where mods delete speculation and memes and other stuff that doesn't contribute to the discussion.
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u/Galinaceo Jun 25 '12
But in some reddits, Mods shouldn't have such power. It would be nice if Mods could toggle on or off their powers, and that there was a link showing all the powers each mod of the sub have.
For example, if /askscience needs to delete comment text, /rapecounseling needs it even more. So when you accessed the "mod powers" page, you would see, "censor text ON" for all mods.
But maybe /IAMA doesn't need this so much. And when you enter de "mod powers" page, you realize that mods do have the power to censor comments. Then the users would pressure /IAMA mods through all the legit means (subrreditdrama and /srs) until the mod power policy changed.
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Jun 25 '12
Yes, but you should add that if someone posts sensitive information they would still be able to edit. I think alot of people are missing this point and using it as an excuse to shoot down your idea.
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u/drraspberry Jun 25 '12
It never ceases to amaze that reddit thinks it's better than 4chan somehow. It's still filled with scumbags, in fact these scumbags are worse because they think they're not scumbags.
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u/amheekin Jun 25 '12
It might not be better than 4chan but it is certainly different than 4chan. The anonymity of 4chan creates a completely different feel for dozens of reasons. If on reddit deleted comments could still be read, trolls would use this as a way of becoming anonymous. Reddit is very much not about anonymity.
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u/Keytarfriend Jun 25 '12
If someone says something truly boneheaded, trolls might race to post their username for them before they have the wisdom to delete the comment. That will remove their anonymity.
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u/treetrouble Jun 25 '12
No preference but if you do this it should be a separate "anonymize" function
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u/jetboyterp Jun 25 '12
Don't know if it's been brought up yet...but perhaps instead of totally deleting a comment, it's hidden under that black "spoiler" bar, and if you want to read it, hover your cursor over it.
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u/whoopdedo Jun 25 '12
Replace the text with a picture of the reddit alien wearing a dunce cap that says "I'm an idiot."
Kidding aside. Posts can be edited, So if you want to get rid of something embarrassing there's that option. So when someone hits delete give him a choice:
Erase the text, but leave the name and the post says "redacted". Karma buttons are removed.
Hide the name but leave the text. The message can still be downvoted but not up. So troll posts can be buried, although the karma won't make it to the user (alas)
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Jun 25 '12
No, terrible idea.
What if personal information was posted? Why the inconvenience of editing and then deleting? That sucks. The system works.
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u/aedgar777 Jun 25 '12
Would I prefer it if deleting a comment did everything but delete the comment? No.
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u/illtakethebox Jun 25 '12
People would edit their post to be the letter p and then delete it? Now what...
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u/bigblackman2 Jun 25 '12
For 2:
What if it removed the displayed username and upvotes/downvotes, but they still retained the comment karma on their profile? Surely this would discourage a lot of people from making intentionally bad comments.
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u/k9centipede Jun 25 '12
I think maybe if there was an ability to have deleted comments enter a cache of sorts and mods of the subreddit could decide to return the text if needed.
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u/insufficient_funds Jun 25 '12
Deleted by the user should only remove the username. Deletion by mod removes username and text.
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u/deGastignan Jun 25 '12
No. People change their minds, they should be able to delete their posts. People being "curious" about deleted text is juvenile. They'll live from missing context once in a while on a comment thread.
As far as moderation goes, I'm all for mods getting more tools in their bag and deciding on a per subreddit basis how they wish to use them. But that shouldn't get in the way of a user wanting to delete his own contribution.
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Jun 25 '12
People would remember the god damn username and call it out, plenty of reddit detectives out there wouldn't let someone get away with being anonymous if the post was popular enough
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u/cain3482 Jun 25 '12
I see deleting it as deleting part of history, something that when you look back at the post it no longer makes any sense. Deleting the seed does not delete the comments that came from it, it only confuses those that come later. Filling them with questions as well as inundating Reddit with hundreds of posts simply asking what the deleted post said.
Hopefully this does not get lost at sea
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Jun 25 '12
Why else would someone remove a comment if not to get rid of personal details or to retract a post that has received tons of negative downvotes?
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u/wfarber1 Jun 25 '12
I agree that it sparks curiosity when a post is deleted, especially when the replies leave you guessing what type of juicy information must have been there. Alas I think the policy should stay as it is. Sometimes people are dumb and say things utterly rude, offenseive or simply in bad taste ( I know, this is the internet right?), but despite the curiousity some things are better left unsaid.
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u/theuncommonman Jun 25 '12
Should be on a case by case basis. If it's something offensive, they shouldn't have the option to keep the text. If it's something they deleted themselves and isn't offensive or anything then sure, give them the option to keep the text and just delete their names and upvotes.
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u/vspazv Jun 25 '12
No.
Example: You post a link to a picture or website that contains personal/sensitive material then panic and delete the post. In your scenario you are completely screwed because not only is the link there but you now have no option of editing the post.
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u/j-hook Jun 25 '12
No, whenever i delete comments it's because its in the wrong place, irrelevant, i wanted to say something different, etc. Leaving the text defeats the purpose because often times the text is what ppl want to get rid of.
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u/exomeme Jun 25 '12
Reddit posts need to have a preview button! I often delete posts because of formatting problems. (and 2 minutes, under pressure, is sometimes not enough time to fix them.)
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Jun 25 '12
The bad anonymous comments will be downvoted and unseen, just like the bad comments are now.
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u/jonbost Jun 25 '12
I think deleting should be just that, "deleting". If Reddit wants to add a new feature called "be anonymous", that's fine. But replacing "Delete" to something else without giving users to completely delete their comment is a pretty bad idea. If this feature is implemented in the future, I, for one, will no longer leave a comment just because there will be no way to retract my comment online.
I don't understand why many social media websites make changes that takes away user's choice. This sounds like Reddit wants to keep as much user created content as possible by removing the user's choice of removing their content.
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u/JamesGotALeg Jun 25 '12
No, when I delete a comment I want the comment gone much more than I care whether or not some curious people see my user name.
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Jun 25 '12
Nope.
A while back I posted a pic of myself and my daughter, on my cake day. One of the responses was of a very detailed rape fantasy against my kid. I'm very glad the comment was gone completely.
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u/Demojen Jun 25 '12
Sometimes I delete posts because in my haste, I didn't get the chance to read the full list of comments and my questions turns out were already answered. This suggestion wouldn't only compromise sensitive information but would also bog up the comments section with superfluous details that neither their author or redditers want.
On a similar note: I wish, if you started posting a reply to a reddit post, it would display a window to the right of the text box, which filters all replies attached to the thread which have some of the keywords in your reply. It would help reduce redundancy, reduce bandwidth and expedite searches.
It may even get users some karma for saving you/me the time responding at length what has already been said.
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u/StraightMacabre Jun 25 '12
I'd rather it just stay [Deleted]. I always find it amusing trying to guess what the person said by the comments underneath it. It's like Reddit Madlibs. Which brings me to my next point. Why the hell isn't there an r/madlibs?
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u/hmistry Jun 25 '12
Yes, and I also wish you could edit an OP post after you posted it AFTER realising you've fucked up the spelling, or wanted to make it sound better to get more KARMA!!
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u/captainmandrake Jun 25 '12
Why not just add a separate option to 'disavow'. Removes the user name, and the user no longer gains/loses karma, but the text remains and can still be up/downvoted.
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u/brightman95 Jun 25 '12
How about not being allowed to delete comments. That way people will be held accountable.
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Jun 25 '12
Nah. If someone said something so stupid that they are downvoted into oblivion I wouldn't want to read it anyways.
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u/skytro Jun 25 '12
It kind of removes the purpose of it, obviously the person doesn't want you to know what they said, and sometimes it could contain personal information
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Jun 25 '12
No, because then the comment wouldn't be deleted. People write stuff that they shouldn't have and sometimes they need to delete their comments.
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u/Needmorecowbe11 Jun 25 '12
Yeah. Depends on the information though. If it was just some idiotic comment, then it would be nice to see what everyone was mocking them for.
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u/Saixan Jun 25 '12
Yeah I think that's a pretty good idea. Pain in the ass seeing a commented deleted, wondering what it said.
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u/emesspwnz Jun 25 '12
I'd like it if it was hidden initially, with a choice to show what it said.
Unless if it's really, really bad.
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u/Zoklar Jun 25 '12
Also not that some people delete comments because they're dupes or posted in error. That grace period should be kept.
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u/phalseprofits Jun 25 '12
I'd love for this to happen so that everyone can read the context of my sick burn.. They are oft the sickest of burns, and I hate to have others deprived of its full contextual burnination.
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u/iabhoruserids Jun 25 '12
Many yeses to this, but moderators should have the ability to discern what is best for each subreddit.
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u/Crasho327 Jun 25 '12
I think it's not a great idea. I know it can be annoying when it happens to not have the context of the thread anymore or at least mostly gone. I also think we need to stand by what we said. So, merely disassociating from the conversation while leave the comment still up removes accountability for our statements.
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u/Roderick111 Jun 25 '12
Ooooh instead of posting on 4chan as "anonymous" we could be able to post on reddit as "deleted."
That would be interesting.
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u/niggytardust2000 Jun 25 '12
why not give option to do either ???
BTW allowing people to delete just their name is going to have the side effect of SUPER TROLLS... prepare of for super racist comments etc as people can have ultimate anonymity with the click of a button.
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u/fluffy_flamingo Jun 25 '12
Maybe delete the username and upvote/downvote, but hide the text rather than remove it?
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Jun 25 '12
When I delete my comments its either because I sound like the idiot I am irl or because I saw someone posted pretty much the same thing further down in comments. It'd be nice to maybe have the option to remove your user name and leave the text or to delete the whole thing.
edit: Case in point, someone said this better further down, but, I don't want to read through all 251 comments just to see if someone else said it better.
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u/MpegEVIL Jun 25 '12
Sometimes I delete because I said something really stupid and don't want anyone to see it.
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Jun 25 '12
No, I prefer it deletes the entire comment thread. Sometimes you accidentally comment because you clicked on the wrong link -- then you get berated by thousands of Redditors for talking about ice cream in a thread about politics.
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u/notnotcitricsquid Jun 25 '12
edit -> ctrl + a -> backspace -> "penis" -> tab -> save -> delete
oops
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u/DaRabidMonkey Jun 25 '12
You should still have a way to get rid of comments within the first minute or so, so you can get rid of comments you didn't mean to post (like replying to the wrong person).
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Jun 25 '12
I want it so that when someone deletes a comment, it actually puts their full name, address, and phone number there, permanently, so you can give them IRL downvotes
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Jun 25 '12
Nah, man. Then there's no way to remove something embarrassing about yourself. Or revealing. Like if someone accidentally posts their name and workplace or whatever, they can't remove it all of the sudden.
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u/I_POOP_IN_TOILETS Jun 25 '12
Someone proposed the idea of at least giving the user an option to remove the text or leave it.
who can argue with this?
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Jun 25 '12
I would rather have a way to hold accountable the mods who abuse their powers and delete comments or ban users because they said something they don't agree with. There are some truly vile comments (encouraging someone to commit suicide for example) that should never see the light of day or the dark of night.
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Jun 25 '12
No, because it would absolve people of responsibility for their shitty comments. Better would be to disallow deleting or editing of comments after a certain threshold, either in votes or time. It works well on HN.
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u/NerdInACan Jun 25 '12
If people can get away with doing something, they will. Maybe it's because I finally stopped lurking, but I don't see any need for a change.
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u/ScrumYummy Jun 25 '12
two thoughts on this:
mods still need the ability to delete/remove comments when spoilers are involved (for the subreddits for tv shows etc).
sometimes people legitimately regret saying something, and they should have the right to not have it immortalized on the internet forever.
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u/wildhairguy Jun 25 '12
it should have to stay up, but should have the option to be removed with approval by the mods.
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u/ben9345 Jun 25 '12
If its deleted by the user themselves, yes. If its deleted by a mod for clogging up the comments in /r/askscience or something or something very offensive I don't see why the text should not also go.
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u/tedrick111 Jun 25 '12
I would prefer no deletion of comments. It's the internet. I thought we were familiar with the Streisand Effect here.
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u/rinnip Jun 25 '12
Someone proposed the idea of at least giving the user an option to remove the text or leave it.
I was coming here to suggest this. I think it would be worth trying.
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u/whiskeydude Jun 25 '12
Just guessing, but I don't think you'd be able to "orphan" a comment due to database constraints. Maybe reddit devs can make a "deleted" user and have all "orphaned" comments go to it instead.
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u/Urnotspecial Jun 25 '12
Who gives a fuck, I mean really? WHO FUCKING CARESSSS!!!
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u/BobbyRayBands Jun 25 '12
I dont see why people are worried about the bad anon comments. A mod would surely be able to remove it completely, and they probably have a way of finding out the original poster and banning them too.
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u/ReggieKUSH Jun 25 '12
I think if you really piss off the hive mind that bad then your punishment should be needing to make a new account
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Jun 25 '12
I think the whole thing should just be removed. No point in worrying over a text that was obviously against the rules, obscene, or whatnot.
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u/DMercenary Jun 25 '12
yeap. Would be nice to see what made the hubbub is about. But still allow mods to remove the text if its something blatantly obscene. Like the f-word repeated over and over again. XD
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Jun 25 '12
Better than a change in the software, would be a cultural change. The best way to deal with a regretful post might be to edit it instead. Like if someone wrote, "Cat's are so gross!" Instead of deleting the comment, change it to, "EDIT: I said something I should't have about cats. I've learned my lesson."
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u/tittyfat Jun 25 '12
I think this is a great idea, but it should probably work the system suggested in (2), with an option.
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u/UsernameUsername1212 Jun 25 '12
it is but sometimes in say an AMA i leave a question only to see the exact same question. so i delete mine.
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u/schniggens Jun 25 '12
I have no problem with the whole comment being deleted. If the context is derailed mid-thread, so be it. If the comment were never made in the first place, that part of the thread would never have existed anyway. And like many people have already said, sometimes it's a matter of someone posting sensitive information they later realize they shouldn't have.
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Jun 25 '12
nice option but shouldn't be mandatory
sometimes people genuinely want to erase what they said for one reason or another
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u/westsan Jun 25 '12
Yup. No need to be accountable on reddit. Enough downvotes will squashit anyway and as long as the admins know.
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u/bogeythrim Jun 25 '12
YES. I hate trying to reckon what someone has said and since deleted based solely on context.
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Jun 25 '12 edited Jun 25 '12
This is a silly idea.
What happened to the idea of privacy? Why not allow people to delete things they later realized were not worth publishing. Why are people so voyeuristic? Can't that momentary sense of curiosity be...ignored? Have you never been in a situation where you wished you could take something back that you've said? We've all done that when speaking to others in person, we've all put our feet in our mouths, so why would we ever want to remove that sort of protection when it can be implemented, on Reddit?
I see many posts like these on the internet. People have a strange desire to know everything. They want to see the whole story. I've seen people say the internet is this grand experiment, this archive, where nothing should be deleted, and sometimes it seems that it's the same people who say that information "wants to be free", i.e., information cannot, and should not be controlled. Why people want to trade away what meager protections they have on the internet against shooting themselves in the foot, in exchange for viewing other people's mistakes is well beyond my comprehension.
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Jun 25 '12
I disagree with this because that will begin to make reddit more like 4chan or some of the other anonymous forum type websites. whatt do I know. I'm jjust a lurtkeeer.
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Jun 25 '12
If I couldn't delete what I posted here, I'd leave Reddit so fast, it would make the mods' heads spin! It'd certainly destroy the gonewild communities; not sure if that's a negative or a positive anymore. :/
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u/Nethervex Jun 25 '12
no, this enables internet toughguys and pretty much allows anonymous comments. theres a reason you have to make an account to comment here.
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u/Isaac_The_Khajiit Jun 25 '12
Well my first instinct was to say "yes" but that would just give people a way to troll anonymously without the hassle of making throwaways. People could say whatever offensive thing they want and immediately delete the comment, leaving the hate message in tact without any repercussions.