Forrest

Thanks for re-invigorating this topic.

I fully agree with the proposal for 'hard numbering' of posts, just recently I returned to a discussion thread where a post had been removed, which I did not realise until reading subsequent posts. Made for some confusion and also a feeling of unease - big brother style censorship and manipulation.

In fact I don't see the need for deletion of posts at all, I would rather see the offender suspended for a time, to be determined by number of complaints and the nature of the post. However, as noted, there is the issue of liability on the part of OLO, would suspension be considered sufficient mitigation?

As for deletion of a post by a user, unless there is among our number a most savvy hacker, I very much doubt this is possible. Deletions are the province of the moderators.

I really don't see the point of gender specificity - that Gibo needs to respond to posters based on gender rather than the content and quality of the post is a personal problem for Gibo.

Forrest, you seem to be misunderstanding me. It is obviously possible for a user to request the deletion of a post by a moderator, as this occurred recently. If the policy of moderators is to accede to all such requests, then it is equivalent to giving users a "button to push". I don't see that as desirable in most circumstances. I can, however, envisage circumstances in which it may be appropriate for a moderator to emend a post that falls outside the bounds of forum policies, r if a user provides good reasons. In that situation, I'd be in favour of a requirement to note that the editing has occurred, along with a declaration of which policy has been offended.

The Whirlpool broadband forums are a very active site indeed, with quite stringent rules for moderation. They have what they call a "herring" system, whereby anyone is free to mark a post "fishy", along with a reason. A moderator then investigates and determines if rukes have been broken. the original poster has the right to argue the contrary case, but the mod's decision is final. I note that Simon Hackett of whirlpool is a member here; perhaps he may be able to assist Graham in implementing such a system.

Antiseptic's personal abuse via false allegation continues, even on this topic. I didn't mention him in my post. I was attempting to keep his personal issues out of this. AGAIN, he personally attacks. So....I'll respond in kind.

It's VITAL that a system be put in place that prevents people like antiseptic from "manually" typing in quotes that are purposefully altered, in order to give the impression that the original poster said something he didn't. The original suggestion of having a shaded quote background would prevent antiseptic, and other people, from manipulating quotes.

SallyG:"Antiseptic's personal abuse via false allegation continues"

Well, stop making the false allegations. Your friend JW got caught out trying to cover up the fact that she lied about her gender for some stupid reason and you've been spouting the lie ever since. She, of course, has disappeared. I did not manually type the quote from JW, I copy/pasted it and after I posted it, JW asked GrahamY to delete it. It's a very simple thing to understand. Indelibility of posts would make the explanation unnecessary and JW's reputation would be no worse off.

It's funny watching you argue for traceability. Something like watching a banker arguing for personal responsibility...

A definite no to the gender box.

Having been on the receiving end of patronizing comments that I know would have been phrased differently if directed at a male poster, I understand clearly why some females might, in the interests of wanting to participate on a level playing field, wish their gender to remain unknown.

In my first post on this topic I made no mention of antiseptic.

He then **chose** to engage in personal abuse and personal attack.

As usual, when someone replies to his abuse, he just continues on forever, never giving up, especially if the person he's abusing is a woman.

Therefore out of respect for this topic, which NOT about antiseptic's abuse and personal problems, I'll reply no more to his attacks and abuse on this topic, in an effort to enable people to focus on the subject matter.