Cheese
Member
And when I typed in dratted, my spell check changed it to drated. 
Spell checks weren't very sophisticated 11 years ago.
Spell checks weren't very sophisticated 11 years ago.
The Drated Yellow Glove
- Thread starter Cheese
- Start date
Michael Kellough
Member
Spell check do work on subject titles here? And it just changed a defective “doesn’t” to “do”. How do you delete a post?
Packard
Member
My spell checker makes some incredibly non-sensical substitutions, such that I cannot follow the logic in the changes. I think the spell checker is a product of your search system. I have FireFox, mainly because it does less information harvesting (and it is free and seems competent. The spell checker, less so.)
When I started using word processing, I was convinced that the spell checker would make ma a “lazy speller”. But instead, it trained me to correctly spell many of my troublesome words. At this point, I do much better without a spell checker than with one.
mino
Member
I have ventured to disable all and any spell checks for non-professional work for this reason a couple yrs back.
I rather be seen as a dislectic than spread mis-infromation because of some "checker" deciding that it new better than me what I ment.
The human mind is fluent at processing/ignoring typos the checkers fix. See line above. The same mind faces major challenges compensating for meaning swings the checkers introduce. This thread title is a wonderful case-in-point of that.
Michael Kellough
Member
I’d still like someone to clue me in on how to delete a post.
Packard
Member
As you imagine, they have a forum on this forum. Like FOG it is run by the manufacturer.I’d still like someone to clue me in on how to delete a post.
They have many listed topics, but will also answer questions (though I have not tested this out).
Guide to Using Our Forum Software (XenForo)
This thread will explain many of the ins and outs of using XenForo. It is written from the standpoint that many members are already accustomed to vBulletin software. Index (links): Common XenForo terms User Control Panel Navigation bar Breadcrumb Avatars Conversations, Follow, and Ignore...
www.mu-43.com
And a place to ask questions.
Packard
Member
According to the site linked above, “You can only delete after a certain number of posts”.
Apparently, that number is set above 5,666. At some point a “delete” button is supposed to appear at the bottom of your post. I don’t have a delete button. Maybe one of the moderators will chime in and say what that number is.
In the meantime, I just go back in the “edit” and delete the content an replace it with “Test”, and click “save”. It will not allow you to save an entirely empty post.
Apparently, that number is set above 5,666. At some point a “delete” button is supposed to appear at the bottom of your post. I don’t have a delete button. Maybe one of the moderators will chime in and say what that number is.
In the meantime, I just go back in the “edit” and delete the content an replace it with “Test”, and click “save”. It will not allow you to save an entirely empty post.
Last edited:
semenza
Member
Report the post and ask a moderator to delete for you. When FOG was initially acquired by Festool there had been some "issues" with members deleting posts. Hence that option is not active for members. You can, of course, edit your post to make it blank and then type "please delete" in the post.
Seth
Seth
mino
Member
Sorry, but deleting posts was removed with migration to xenforo, zero relation to any "issues when acquired".
I will be open here as this comment content /not style or author who I seriously respect/ have made me incessantly angry.
You can censor if you wish. I am aware this does not belong to this thread, whatever.
TLDR:
No, asking the warden, er, moderator, to delete your posts when mistyped or no longer relevant is NOT reasonable.
This is a jail policy. Not an open community policy. It is plain hostile against anyone under 70 /all respect/ who still needs to take care of their online presence hygiene.
No forum I know off that is meant to foster discussion does this. Not even those where editing posts is blocked. Only those where discussion is meant to be ephemeral do this.
Ah, one more group does this - intranet company forums where the objective is to prosecute any "misbehavior" when there be a need to fire the employee, bypassing employee abuse protection laws. I was setting up one such system and deletion was a no-go by HR for this reason.
The default setting - prevent new posters - is designed against scam/spam bots. It IS annoying, but is fine mostly when clearly communicated.
This policy, whatever it came from /not from what is claimed/ is stupid and is designed to destroy the FOG community as it is a pure unadulterated condescending hostility action to members. No buts.
Combine it with
- mandatory reading of Classified posts. I complained about this already, ignored without a reply.
- impossibility to "withdraw" from threads is one of the major reasons I think thrice to post here. Ignored too while the past workaround /removing all one's posts from a thread/ was removed.
And after these two hostile acts, the only think why my account is not still abandoned and/or wiped is I am in period of life I have some time to enjoy the great people who still hang around here. Once that period passes later this year, I am 99% to be forced to abandon it here, likely closing my account given the practical impossibility to sanitize it.
With those two rules, it was made impossible to maintain long-running content like advice, references, etc. and keep on tab of it while actively participating - you either participate, bearing the PITA of "new posts" feed is swamped with OT stuff and classifieds *or* you do not participate at which point your "your threads feed" is kinda usable but you are outa-loop at the same time.
Yes, these two amplified by the fail-style policy of no deletes are the reason I have dropped the idea of creating a few of such. Where one is not welcome, one shall not hang around.
Yes, I am now /mentally/ tuned for $# posting here. No longer take that much care to maintain a 'decorum' like on the old forum that had respect to users.
Yes, when the ONLY recourse to delete potentially incriminating posts employees now routinely AI-scan and correlate one's online presence with a psychological profile today, then that is what I will be forced to do.
That said, I am confident the powers that be simply have zero clue what they are doing here. That does not change the facts.
This is already felt. New people just drop out after a few posts and do not hang out. Not enough motivation/value to stick around such a hostile platform, one can just read without the pain .. while it lasts.
And that ignores that FUSA will be shortly forced to block UK access due to their 'age-based' censorship laws, again losing a chunk of the valuable members.
No, no /rant here. This post may have been written in rage, but it is no rant.
I will attempt to address some of what has been written above thru an explanation. Perhaps way too long an explanation.
Regarding "staff": There are two levels - Moderators and Administrators. Moderators have absolutely ZERO ability to check any sort of settings, let alone make any changes. Only Administrators may have that ability. I use the word "may" because I don't know what sort of agreement they have with the software manufacturer or any other entity that is involved, not do I know what possibilities even exist. Moderators have much less of an ability to see and do things on this platform versus the previous version. For instance, we can't even see a Member's email. I don't like that, but that it what I have.
Now let's talk deletions: Seth was entirely accurate, sorry Mino, that the issue of deletions started a long time ago, but actually before Festool acquired the forum. The reason: In a great tumultuous period, Members of long standing, with numerous posts, were angry with the previous sole Administrator/Moderator/Forum Owner and were departing in anger. They were also deleting their posts en mass. This resulted in massive holes in educational threads and made those discussions worthless. So, when Festool came along and purchased the forum, their Administrator at the time, wrote some software, that allowed Members to be able to delete (if I remember correctly) a certain number of posts a day - thus limiting the likely damage of mass deletions. I know that once I became involved, periodically I would get a request from a Member to delete their account. Typically I would discuss this with them and they would agree to being made inactive incase they wished to return. It was extremely rare to perform a mass deletion for them.
When this software transition was made, we had discussions about features, and this topic came up. I know I argued for a similar policy / setting. I, because as a Moderator my screen shows different buttons than that as a Member, had, until this portion of this thread, had no idea Member's couldn't delete ANY posts.
That being said, there has always been an inability to delete Threads / Conversations if they were the first in a Thread/Conversation. Why? Because that would then allow a Member to delete comments of those who also posted in that thread / conversation. It has long been an acceptable practice to ask Moderators to delete things. In the past it has been Threads, or Posts in some instances. As Seth wrote earlier, you can always edit your post to being blank.
I will ask the Administrator if they will consider alterations to the DELETE aspect. All I can do is ask.
Sorry that the software doesn't appear to allow Members to ignore threads or "withdraw" from a thread. Again, I have no idea if that is even an option.
Regarding Moderation due to Topics going Off-Topic: Do conversations go OFF TOPIC like this one has? Absolutely, all the time. Should they? Technically no. But rhetorically I must ask, is this really laziness or lack of moderation or just a natural occurrence, much like a natural conversation between friends sitting in comfy armchairs? I will admit that since 2009, when remaking the forum into a more pleasant place was important, I have had my own internal thought that having members feel that they could talk about most things here civilly would lead to development of internet friendships, and because it is usually harder to get into altercations with a friend than a stranger. The result in my mind was that less moderation would be needed between friends. Frankly, and I admit I might be delusional here, but I think moderation wise it has worked.
I hope that perhaps this might provide some insight.
Peter
Regarding "staff": There are two levels - Moderators and Administrators. Moderators have absolutely ZERO ability to check any sort of settings, let alone make any changes. Only Administrators may have that ability. I use the word "may" because I don't know what sort of agreement they have with the software manufacturer or any other entity that is involved, not do I know what possibilities even exist. Moderators have much less of an ability to see and do things on this platform versus the previous version. For instance, we can't even see a Member's email. I don't like that, but that it what I have.
Now let's talk deletions: Seth was entirely accurate, sorry Mino, that the issue of deletions started a long time ago, but actually before Festool acquired the forum. The reason: In a great tumultuous period, Members of long standing, with numerous posts, were angry with the previous sole Administrator/Moderator/Forum Owner and were departing in anger. They were also deleting their posts en mass. This resulted in massive holes in educational threads and made those discussions worthless. So, when Festool came along and purchased the forum, their Administrator at the time, wrote some software, that allowed Members to be able to delete (if I remember correctly) a certain number of posts a day - thus limiting the likely damage of mass deletions. I know that once I became involved, periodically I would get a request from a Member to delete their account. Typically I would discuss this with them and they would agree to being made inactive incase they wished to return. It was extremely rare to perform a mass deletion for them.
When this software transition was made, we had discussions about features, and this topic came up. I know I argued for a similar policy / setting. I, because as a Moderator my screen shows different buttons than that as a Member, had, until this portion of this thread, had no idea Member's couldn't delete ANY posts.
That being said, there has always been an inability to delete Threads / Conversations if they were the first in a Thread/Conversation. Why? Because that would then allow a Member to delete comments of those who also posted in that thread / conversation. It has long been an acceptable practice to ask Moderators to delete things. In the past it has been Threads, or Posts in some instances. As Seth wrote earlier, you can always edit your post to being blank.
I will ask the Administrator if they will consider alterations to the DELETE aspect. All I can do is ask.
Sorry that the software doesn't appear to allow Members to ignore threads or "withdraw" from a thread. Again, I have no idea if that is even an option.
Regarding Moderation due to Topics going Off-Topic: Do conversations go OFF TOPIC like this one has? Absolutely, all the time. Should they? Technically no. But rhetorically I must ask, is this really laziness or lack of moderation or just a natural occurrence, much like a natural conversation between friends sitting in comfy armchairs? I will admit that since 2009, when remaking the forum into a more pleasant place was important, I have had my own internal thought that having members feel that they could talk about most things here civilly would lead to development of internet friendships, and because it is usually harder to get into altercations with a friend than a stranger. The result in my mind was that less moderation would be needed between friends. Frankly, and I admit I might be delusional here, but I think moderation wise it has worked.
I hope that perhaps this might provide some insight.
Peter
Cheese
Member
This is what I've had to do with this new software. On the older software I could delete a post if I wanted to.
And when I delete a post it's for fairly benign reasons such as mistakenly posting an answer to a question that has already been answered by someone else or mis-reading a post, answering it and then realizing that the answer I posted, really wasn't germane to the original post.
MacBoy
Member
I appreciate the allowance for tangential discussions to happen.
I receive an equal amount of learning and experience good chuckles from the tangents.
