Deleted posts search feature?

July 8, 2003 1:41 AM

This thread for googling for WMDs has come up I think three times now. (And will probably be deleted before most of you read this post.) As It took me quite a while to locate via search where the page in question was first posted, and this mistake could be made with similar distributed content is there any way that we can have the search feature include deleated posts? If it did this person would have probably seen the other two deleted posts and not posted this. Perhaps a checkbox on the search page for 'include deleted posts'.
posted by woil to Feature Requests at 1:41 AM (15 comments total)

It should include deleted threads by default, since duplication is such a common cause of deletion. Good call.
posted by scarabic at 1:58 AM on July 8, 2003

Other things this might help prevent include posts / double posts that link to the same story hosted at different locations.
posted by woil at 2:13 AM on July 8, 2003

How many previous MeTalk posts have requested a search of deleted threads for this same reason? ;-P
posted by mischief at 2:43 AM on July 8, 2003

to whom it may concern...
posted by crunchland at 5:35 AM on July 8, 2003

This is a perfect example of why it is a good thing Matt is 3,000 miles from the server. He probably would have gone all Nicholson-in-the-Shining axe-happy on the MeFi box round about the 17th "vibrating Harry Potter broom" post, let alone the xth "WMD Google-bomb" link.
posted by arco at 6:14 AM on July 8, 2003

In other news.
posted by angry modem at 6:34 AM on July 8, 2003

I wouldn't mind if there was a deleted MetaTalk thread graveyard somewhere, so we could read up on past shit-flinging that got out of hand.

But I otherwise concur with the inclusion of deleted threads in the search engine/doublepost blocker.
posted by me3dia at 1:13 PM on July 8, 2003

All brooms and no links make Matt— sorry, it's too easy a shot. I can't do it.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 1:35 PM on July 8, 2003

I wouldn't mind if there was a deleted MetaTalk thread graveyard somewhere, so we could read up on past shit-flinging that got out of hand.

When I registered MetaLifter.com (gratuitous but relevent self-link), I was thinking about maybe offering it to Matt as a Recycle Bin for deleted MetaFilter content (and that was one reason I designed it in brown). When you think about it, "keeping" deleted content in an accessible place like the lofi page seems rather self-defeating if you have a good reason for deleting it in the first place. Anyway, I don't know what I'm going to do with the 'Lifter, but I won't be making that decision until after the 14th.
posted by wendell at 2:40 PM on July 8, 2003

Have you considered a web portal to all thing weight-lifting?
posted by cortex at 3:48 PM on July 8, 2003

i do bleeve i have just allowed SHITFILTER.COM to expire.
posted by quonsar at 4:12 PM on July 8, 2003

I bet one of the posts was inspired by the quotes in this weeks TIME magazine. Yup, the google WMD's are in it. haha.
posted by dabitch at 6:20 PM on July 8, 2003

As the author of the real thirdsy, (making boswell's the fourth--many blessings upon you, boz) I am selfishly inclined to argue for a complete zero-overwrite of all deleted posts. My personal depantsing aside, I'm inclined to regard even the most ridiculous posts as part of this document, Metafilter, and should be preserved, and searchable. Deleting a post should only remove it from the FP and optionally mark it with whatever quip or snark mathowie deems appropriate. or maybe we should give the commentary job to XQUZYPHER? ;^P
posted by squirrel at 10:22 AM on July 10, 2003

We have fifthsies!
posted by scarabic at 2:50 PM on July 16, 2003

It no longer works. Maybe the madness will end now.
posted by scarabic at 10:11 AM on July 21, 2003