Deleting posts : how ?

[SecondSight]

Hello 🙂

How can members proceed to delete some or all their posts ?...

Thank you 🙂

[Jim M]

Their member group would need to have permission to delete their own posts in ACP -> Members -> Groups -> edit group -> Can delete own content? That will enable them to delete their content one by one.

To delete all their posts, this would require intervention by an administrator, either by way of an account deletion request in Account Settings or via a contact request which the administrator acts on.

[SecondSight]

6 minutes ago, Jim M said:

Their member group would need to have permission to delete their own posts in ACP -> Members -> Groups -> edit group -> Can delete own content?

I've checked and I already have this option enabled. Members can delete their content if they see it in a topic for instance.

11 minutes ago, Jim M said:

That will enable them to delete their content one by one.

Does it mean they can't have a box to check, which would allow them to select the content they want to delete ?

[Jim M]

2 minutes ago, SecondSight said:

Does it mean they can't have a box to check, which would allow them to select the content they want to delete ?

That is correct. They can only delete one off content.

[SecondSight]

But if you ave 5000 posts, it will take ages to delete...  It would be interesting for members to be able to delete several posts in one click.

[Randy Calvert]

That is not a feature currently. If they really want to delete that much, in most cases they are wanting to delete their entire account. 

You can make an ask for the team to consider such a function in the feedback forum.  You can also engage a third party resource author (see the provider directory) to create the functionality for you on a custom basis.

However personally I’m not sure the real value of such a feature. Someone who has contributed that much content is in the vast majority of cases is not looking to mass remove stuff unless they’re trying to completely quit the site. 

[Jim M]

15 minutes ago, Randy Calvert said:

However personally I’m not sure the real value of such a feature. Someone who has contributed that much content is in the vast majority of cases is not looking to mass remove stuff unless they’re trying to completely quit the site. 

Agreed. Allowing a user to delete a post or a topic they made by accident or something in that sort of realm is what the current deletion function is for.

Once you get into a more mass deletion realm, you (as an administrator) would ideally want to talk with your member before they do that. They could be temporarily angry and delete all their posts then regret it (or you regret it). 

 

[Joel R]

A tangent discussion but one that's related.  

There's almost a philosophical discussion on what kind of service you're providing and how users engage or own their content. 

Are you offering a platform where users own their content? You may want to give them direct ability to delete.  

Are you offering a community, where members contribute to the commons? You should be much more selective about deletion, because deleting would disrupt the flow of conversation.  

Or is your website a mix of both, where they may "own" things like user blogs and user albums, but their forum discussion is part of the commons? 

[Sonya*]

4 hours ago, Joel R said:

You should be much more selective about deletion, because deleting would disrupt the flow of conversation.  

Also, deleting a first post, means the whole topic is deleted. In this case, the user does not just delete his posts. He deletes the content of other members. I would stop to contribute on a platform, where other users(!) can delete my content.

[SecondSight]

5000 posts was an example. But I see what you mean. Anyway, I believe you should make members' experience more comfortable, if this is technically possible/easy to do : members should be able to delete several posts in one click. 🙂

[Marc]

28 minutes ago, SecondSight said:

Anyway, I believe you should make members' experience more comfortable, if this is technically possible/easy to do

Of course, creating a setting so a user can delete every topic and post on your site and give themselves access to your admin CP is technically possible. Its not really an argument for whether or not it should be implemented. Generally, we would not advise on functions that allow an end user to perform mass actions