Note of questions removed

[acw]

ABE,

I would like to make a nice friendly, happy suggestion, and offer some chocolate cake *offers cake*.

I respect your decisions to remove posts, and I also understand that sometimes the bots do that for you.  However, PLEASE add to the "nebula of AB genius" the suggestion to make a note when posts are removed from a thread(similar to the note saying that you edited an answer).  This would help explain why some threads are concertina-ing all the time as posts get removed then reposted then removed again. 

Saying WHY they had been removed would be a bonus!!!

Thanks!

acw

PS - Don't you just LOVE having me back!?! :-p

[AB Editor]

Hi acw,

Welcome back. That email notification function is indeed in the works. Unfortunately website development does not occur as quickly as pushing the Return key. In the meantime, may I please suggest that users refrain from adding to the air of paranoia surrounding the removal of posts issue and using the AnswerBank to disseminate misleading information regarding the working of the site. If users have a question regarding their posting activity I invite them to email me directly before posting their suppositions across The AnswerBank.

Regarding the removal of posts, may I reiterate that posts are not necessarily removed because they were found abusive/offensive/racist etc.... Most are removed because they were unintentionally duplicated. Until we implement a technical solution to the duplication problem, we ask for your patience.

The AnswerBank is a unique site on the world wide web and we are proud of the contributions made by our regular and novice users. We also appreciate the suggestions that are made in this category and do consider them when developing this site.

AB ED

[jno]

hi acw, thesis all done, eh? I understand AB Ed's protests that he can't send out hand-crafted illuminated manuscripts telling everyone why their posts have been banned. But perhaps the robots could do this - if a post was reported and then removed under the heading of 'duplicate post' or 'general stupidity' or whatever, maybe a note of this could automatically be added to the post when it's viewed via My Profile?

[acw]

Ah - I think I must have misworded my request.

Firstly - I'd like to apologise to ABE - I haven't meant to cause a problem. 

Secondly - the situation I was referring to was this:

• A thread gets started.
• People post - responding to each other. 
• For whatever reason, a post or posts get removed.
• The thread then loses its meaning as users read posts referring to other posts that are simply not there.

Also - ocassionally (a lot recently) I have followed a thread that has had 14 responses one day (no hiccups) and then 10 the next time I looked. 

I'm really not complaining about it. I'm just asking that perhaps you could place a note in the thread to point out that a post was removed.  Just so we understand how and why it got so confusing. 

I wasn't meaning to request personal or even automated emails about every post that is removed!!

PS - jno - thesis is nowhere near finished.  I have some utterly inconsiderate flatmates who have kept me sleep deprived for several days and so I have been unable to do any academic work.  I felt the calling of the AB - and back I came!

[mycatis]

Not sure that the ED answered this one well not the usual happy smiley ed, has he run out of chocolate cake, oh dear!

[HAPPYCHAPPIE]

When things get a little tense Ed I always make a nice cup of tea and take George for a walk and if things are really bad I bring out the chocolate digestives and give George some happy waggie tail doggy choc drops then I sit back and think of the positive things in my life. �In the pushchair George Walkies�  �woof woof� :-)

[AB Editor]

Hi guys,

Thanks HAPPYCHAPPIE. The last week on the AB has been a bit heavy and I'm afraid I've had to bring out the big words and pregnant clauses. All in a day's work on the ole Internet, I suppose. 

Rest assured the ole ED is still around, smiling underneath my sometimes tough exterior.

AB ED  

[acw]

What's a "pregnant clause"!?!

[ALEXGREEN]

An expectant stipulation?

[mfewell]

I don't know how much, but I do know I have made contributions to the ED's heavy time. It takes a while to get used to how sites work, what's going on automatically and what manually, etc etc. Also, I think the word 'just' should be removed from the world of I.T. People ask, couldn't it just do such and such ? Software isn't like that, a very simple modification from the user's viewpoint can mean acres of complicated code, which has to be project-managed (gawd help us), verified, tested, signed off, and so on. I've had to learn, and had a few spats with ED on the way, but take it from me, apparently simple changes up front can be anything but simple behind the scenes. So what's this ? - mfewell supporting the ED - yes. If I were him I'd probably have deleted me long ago.

[acw]

Or her.  ABE might be a woman.  Some of us are allowed away from the kitchen sink sometimes.