How are we supposed to know?

[pramjockey]

Staff won't respond to PM, so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.

The forum rules (Forum Rules! - You must read.) state:

Originally Posted by rule #14

Do not repost something a moderator or administrator has deleted.

But, if a post is deleted, there is no way for a forum goer to know, because only one moderator (in my experience) actually bothers to notify people that he/she has deleted their posts. And, the forum software does not display the deleted status of a post to non-staff. Given the wonky nature of the Internet, sometimes a post that you thought went through doesn't. So, one returns to a thread to find a post that one thought that he/she made, yet it isn't there.

Now, if you aren't sure if it was a software glitch or a moderator deleting the post, how are you supposed to avoid violating this rule?


Again, I have attempted to get an answer to this question via PM, but apparently I'm on the "do not reply to" list.

[Kash]

At the other forums I frequent, the moderators inform the OP via PM that his/her thread had been deleted. This should definitely be standard operating procedure not only to avoid violating the rule mentioned above, but simply because it's the courteous thing to do.

[John Drake]

You might ask before reposting, but that's probably annoying. You might conversely just not repost anything.

I generallly don't, but that's really becasse I've thought better of posting at all usually if I wait.

You might write your posts out on a WP before you post them, (it's recommended generally) and then note the date and time they're posted, if any aren't there then rephrase before you post again.

[Traveler]

Pram i think moon asked for this before as well. The thing is everytime a mod deletes a post or something, if they then go to PM to notify you it can be a lot of hassel, especially for multiple deletions in a thread etc.

The only way i can think this would be sorted is if there is an automatic PM alert to the poster if one of their posts is removed and if the moderator puts down a reason you'll see it. Kind of like the warning system, that it will automatically give you a response.

But i don't know how difficult it would be to impliment something like that though.

Anyway if its possible then maybe that might be the solution? I can't see any other way round as manual notifications may be too time consuming for the staff.

[iamwhatiseem]

Well first of all, when you make a post - you are immediately taken to that post after you submit it.
So....not sure how someone could think they didn't make a post when the first thing they see after submitting it -- is the post itself!

Secondy, in all honesty, most deleted posts that did not also result in an infraction/warning were deleted because they either had absolutely nothing to do with the topic, was spam, or among a blizzard of post in an ongoing mudfest between two or more people, in which it can easily take a mod 5 minutes just to clean it up.

Personally, I notify probably 75% of deleted posts, the other 25% is usually something that is far off topic or whose purpose was only to piss off another poster...then I don't bother to notify them.

[pramjockey]

Originally Posted by iamwhatiseem

Well first of all, when you make a post - you are immediately taken to that post after you submit it.
So....not sure how someone could think they didn't make a post when the first thing they see after submitting it -- is the post itself!

Secondy, in all honesty, most deleted posts that did not also result in an infraction/warning were deleted because they either had absolutely nothing to do with the topic, was spam, or among a blizzard of post in an ongoing mudfest between two or more people, in which it can easily take a mod 5 minutes just to clean it up.

Personally, I notify probably 75% of deleted posts, the other 25% is usually something that is far off topic or whose purpose was only to piss off another poster...then I don't bother to notify them.

But that's not an answer to the question, now is it?

It's a pretty simple question, IMHO. If I am going to be held liable to the rules, it seems only fair that I be notified if I'm going to be put in a position where if I make a post I will be violating the rules.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by pramjockey

But that's not an answer to the question, now is it?

It's a pretty simple question, IMHO. If I am going to be held liable to the rules, it seems only fair that I be notified if I'm going to be put in a position where if I make a post I will be violating the rules.

Gotta' agree with that.

I posted something once that a Mod removed. Later on in the conversation, I reposted it. The second post was removed and I was awarded an infraction for doing so.

The problem is that I had no idea my original post had been removed, so I had no reason to believe that it violated any rules. Had I been advised that the original post had been removed, I never would've posted what I did a second time.

Unless someone reviews an entire thread, it's quite likely they'll never know one of their posts was removed unless they're advised of that by the Mod who removed it...

[iamwhatiseem]

Originally Posted by pramjockey

But that's not an answer to the question, now is it?

It's a pretty simple question, IMHO. If I am going to be held liable to the rules, it seems only fair that I be notified if I'm going to be put in a position where if I make a post I will be violating the rules.

There may be things that to a few seem "unfair" - but there is no real way of solving it.
It would be nice if the forum software was different, but it isn't.
Therefore it is as it is, you may not like it - but that's just how it is, and until the software makers change it - we are stuck with it.

Moderators are not paid, we have work, family and lives that far beyond supersede our responsibilities here. There is no way we can take the time to send notices to everyone, and then deal with the chain of PM's that follow it.

So - it is as it is.

Furthermore, there is nothing left to add to this thread other than complaints about it. The answer is above.