NOT a deletion complaint

December 5, 2007 11:22 AM

I favourited a comment in AskMe that was later deleted. I'm NOT writing this to complain about the deletion, for while I may not agree with it I can understand why it was removed, however the comment was long enough so I can not read all (most) of it on my favorites page and I kind of would like to be able to reread it as I thought it was fairly well written.

Is there a trick to be able to read the entirety of deleted comments? I'm guessing perhaps not, but on the off chance there is I'd love to know.
(and before anyone asks, I thought the answer to this might interest more then just me, is why I didn't just email)

posted by edgeways to etiquette/policy at 11:22 AM (46 comments total)

It sounds like it's a bug that it's displaying half-way -- it seems like it should either display the entire deleted comment or not at all, and I tend to prefer the latter over the former.
posted by mathowie at 11:27 AM on December 5, 2007

Sometimes there's a little delay between a comment being deleted and that comment no longer showing up in your favorites list. But a deleted comment won't stay in your list of favorites for long.
posted by pb at 11:28 AM on December 5, 2007

There's no trick, this is something that users can't do. This is an edge case. It is so edge case (a deleted but still visible, favorited comment of over the limit length that merits some sort of rereading) that every time it happens you (or the affected party) is welcome to email us and we will, at our discretion, either send it to you, sum up the relevant parts, read it to you over the telephone, or perform an interpretive puppet show/dance revealing its ending.
posted by jessamyn at 11:28 AM on December 5, 2007 [24 favorites]

oof a trifecta of fast answers. Nah it is not important enough to have you guys dig it out, I just liked how it was said. I appreciate the answers though. Close at will.
posted by edgeways at 11:32 AM on December 5, 2007

welcome to email us and we will, at our discretion, either send it to you, sum up the relevant parts, read it to you over the telephone, or perform an interpretive puppet show/dance revealing its ending.

I vote option D. Also, if there could be snacks, and possibly beads and MetaFilter-imprinted novelties thrown to the audience, that would be great. TIA.
posted by pineapple at 11:33 AM on December 5, 2007

Though I would pay to see the interpretive puppet show/dance.
posted by edgeways at 11:34 AM on December 5, 2007

seriously
posted by edgeways at 11:35 AM on December 5, 2007

Though I would pay to see the interpretive puppet show/dance.

I'll think about adding it to the MeFiMall.
posted by jessamyn at 11:39 AM on December 5, 2007

This is an edge case.

posted by edgeways

?!?@#$
posted by dead_ at 11:41 AM on December 5, 2007

Guignol, Guignol, bravo Guignol! Voila Guignol!
posted by breezeway at 11:41 AM on December 5, 2007

interpretive puppet show/dance revealing its ending

pixplztia
posted by dersins at 11:41 AM on December 5, 2007

Or you could have Will Smith reveal the ending.
posted by wendell at 11:47 AM on December 5, 2007

There's no trick, this is something that users can't do.

There is a trick: the trick is to be an admin so you can see what's hidden from the rest of us.
posted by timeistight at 11:50 AM on December 5, 2007

Hey, I had always thought I had invented the interpretive dance/finger puppets thing (sometimes with added PowerPoint, snap quiz, snacks, and a lengthy booze-fueled intermission), but apparently not. Maybe this is a librarian thing related to alternative content delivery for patrons.
posted by maudlin at 11:53 AM on December 5, 2007

less powerpoint, more booze
posted by edgeways at 11:57 AM on December 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

No. I suffered for my art. Now it's your turn.
posted by maudlin at 11:57 AM on December 5, 2007

Do we have any acceptable mattamyn-like moniker that incorporates pb yet? Because I vote for pattamynorteb.
posted by roofus at 12:00 PM on December 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

... MetaFilter-imprinted novelties ...

I don't care about the deletion-favorite-half-comment issue, but the novelties seem like a great idea.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:03 PM on December 5, 2007

Because I vote for pattamynorteb.

Please put your norteb back in your pants.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 12:12 PM on December 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

interpretive puppet show/dance revealing its ending

Dil is a man.
posted by found missing at 12:26 PM on December 5, 2007

Though I would pay to see the interpretive puppet show/dance.

Please add me to the list of people who would pay to see this. I just discovered that I love being on lists, so I'm trying to get on them whenever possible! Also, in all seriousness, I would love to see one or more mods doing an interpretive puppet dance of a deleted comment. Hey - mathowie's going to be at our next meetup....
posted by rtha at 12:29 PM on December 5, 2007

Do we have any acceptable mattamyn-like moniker that incorporates pb yet? Because I vote for pattamynorteb.

I will wire you $100 worth of Alvin Alley Modern Dance Bucks if you join my "there is never a need to concatenate the names of the admins campaign."
posted by Divine_Wino at 12:31 PM on December 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

I'm looking forward to mathowie's deleted-comment puppet show at the SF meetup...
posted by whir at 12:31 PM on December 5, 2007

And I'm joining Divine_Wino's campaign.
posted by whir at 12:33 PM on December 5, 2007

Manual Work Around: Everytime you favourite something, take a screenshot, save the jpg in a directory on your hard drive, or better yet, on ImageShack. Wait for it to be deleted.
posted by blue_beetle at 1:01 PM on December 5, 2007

I will gladly pay holy orizons to whatever being or entity wipes from existence the urge to concatenate the administrators' names, and that ain't whistling Dixie, no sir. I'll loft the mighty conqueror to the heights, I will, and not nobody can stop me.

But if I sing the praises of the destroyer of this syrupy abomination, won't I simply reintroduce the idea to replace the erased urge?

No, better leave well enough alone. You do your work, patch up this drafty seam in free will, and I'll keep quiet and forget all this ever happened.
posted by breezeway at 1:14 PM on December 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

Plastic Wrap: Storing plastic wrap in the refrigerator makes it easier to use and handle. It especially helps in finding the end.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:21 PM on December 5, 2007

I'd prefer having the bread and puppet folks interpret infamous flameouts...
posted by horsemuth at 1:25 PM on December 5, 2007

Can I get all posts sent to me as puppet dance videos by default? kTHXbye,
xid
posted by nomisxid at 2:09 PM on December 5, 2007

I didn't want to be part of the trifecta anyway. I was busy doing something better. Or whatever.

*kicks rocks*
posted by cortex at 2:17 PM on December 5, 2007

Cortex, didn't anyone teach you that you can't spell "Norteb" without "ORTE?"
posted by SassHat at 2:32 PM on December 5, 2007

Yeah, but that was in absentia. I missed the Big Show, is what I'm saying. You had to be there—and I was not.

I have forgotten the face of my father, basically, is what I'm getting at.
posted by cortex at 2:50 PM on December 5, 2007

Follow the ka, Roland. Arthur Eld has not forgotten you.
posted by languagehat at 2:57 PM on December 5, 2007

Follow the ka, Roland.

In an unending circle. kaka.
posted by carsonb at 2:59 PM on December 5, 2007

So... what did the comment say?
posted by delmoi at 3:39 PM on December 5, 2007

What delmoi said.
posted by bkudria at 3:56 PM on December 5, 2007

It was a fairly good reply to an asinine suggestion in an AskMe thread. It was removed (so I assume) because it really didn't address the original question and probably would have caused a further devolution from the main point. I can't tell you what it said, it's deleted unto the void. ave maria
posted by edgeways at 4:04 PM on December 5, 2007

interpretive puppet show/dance revealing its ending

I'd like to see this as a video podcast each week with Matt & Jessamyn reviewing their favorite threads.
posted by terrapin at 4:31 PM on December 5, 2007

Because I vote for pattamynorteb

I'm fond of "Enjoy a sexpot swimmer batch"

or ... "Why a jot became sperms toxin"
posted by terrapin at 5:11 PM on December 5, 2007

"there is never a need to concatenate the names of the admins campaign."

I'm now calling this the breezywhirwino campaign.
posted by taz at 5:19 PM on December 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

I thought we might call ourselves the NPCARAAMNCWU, but I guess anything's fine as long as it fits on a bingo token.
posted by breezeway at 6:24 PM on December 5, 2007

Is there a trick to be able to read the entirety of deleted comments?
In the distant taiga of Siberia, the shamans of the Tungus partake of the sacred mushrooms; girt with the bear-claw tokens of the spirit they send out their souls on arduous journeys to ascend the great World Tree; from its canopy all manner of mysteries are unveiled. Or they may seek glimpses of the worlds beyond as shadows in their oracular mirror. There's also a Firefox extension that allows this, I think.
posted by Abiezer at 6:50 PM on December 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

There's also a Firefox extension that allows this, I think.

Only for posts. On deleted comments, you're stuck with Tungu juju.
posted by cortex at 7:42 PM on December 5, 2007

jessamyn writes "or perform an interpretive puppet show/dance revealing its ending."

See I knew the 100 favourites per day limit was going to bite me eventually.
posted by Mitheral at 8:33 PM on December 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

/me bites Mitheral
posted by tehloki at 12:32 AM on December 6, 2007

* joins Divine_Wino's campaign *
posted by philomathoholic at 12:53 AM on December 6, 2007