Editing/deleting responses, not just threads you create
Admins,
I routinely delete the threads I create after a little time has past due to the very nature of the internet and the lack of privacy available to members who post in these forums or create blogs. If privacy cannot be enhanced, I'd like to make a request.
As it stands, it is possible to completely, permanently delete a thread if you are the original poster. However, it is not possible to delete the individual responses you post on anyone's blog or forum thread. Instead, only some of your responses can be edited and those are only the ones that do not have any responses.
At the very least, can you modify the editing capabilities to allow those who have posted to edit any of their entries? Even if you include an UpdateDateTime field to indicate that it was changed from its original text in case there are any questions that come regarding the post.
It's a very frustrating thing when you realize that this place is designed for those of us to feel safe enough to vent yet there are people like me that realize that have to censor themselves because you don't know who may or may not be reading what you write.
Thank you.
In short, no. The platform
In short, no. The platform this site uses does not currently allow us to give a user the ability to delete their own comments to other user's posts. We're going through a series of upgrades and enhancements to add privacy controls, etc., but at the moment that's not possible.
There are good reasons why we may never allow someone to delete a comment they leave. The biggest one I can think of is site abuse. Allowing someone to delete their comments would allow an abusive user to harass a user and then later remove their comments to try and avoid our detection. We are looking into methods to allow the posts owner to hide comments made by others, etc. Basically, if you don't want your comments on record, don't make them.
Even after we implement privacy controls on StepTalk, forum posts and comments will remain open and you will not be allowed to delete your entries. The forums are meant to be open forums, not private ones, so we do not intend on allowing deletions.
In the mean time know this, your posts on this site are as private as YOU make them. There are only two realistic ways anyone you know can find your post here:
First is if you let them discover you are posting on this site, i.e. they watch you do it, you tell someone, or you have nosy people who know how to look through your browser history.
The second way someone that knows you finds out you are posting here is if you include personally identifiable details in your posts. There are literally thousands of people in the world going through the same issues you are. It's impossible for anyone to distinguish your situation from anyone else without specific details.
BTW, this site was actually designed to be open but anonymous (anonymity is your privacy). It's probably the reason you found the site to begin with. As an open site, all the search engines get to see the content which makes it much easier for people going through the same issues to find your related posts. So it's by design.
So, we will be giving users some privacy settings, hopefully sooner than later. We're discussing several different ideas regarding privacy and the ability to form groups (even private groups), etc.
Thanks for the feedback.
-Admin