January 29, 2005

1:54 PM

Disappearing comment in this thread: I posted a perfectly normal comment after 40 Watt's first comment, and I know that I did indeed remember to hit "post" because, well, I actually saw the comment posted on the screen. But just now, going back to the thread, my comment is gone. Are gremlins afoot? Because certainly my "hey, thanks for the reminder, I'm going to get this for my nephew" couldn't be considered worthy of deletion...?
posted by scody to bugs at 1:54 PM (25 comments total)

Happened to me in this thread. Can't imagine it being deleted for content.
posted by arse_hat at 2:26 PM on January 29, 2005

I personally haven't been in either of those threads today, we can see if mathowie has been.
posted by jessamyn at 2:46 PM on January 29, 2005

And that was when they realized that MetaFilter had become self-aware.

I AM LOOKING FOR SARAH CONNOR .......
posted by yhbc at 3:38 PM on January 29, 2005

Your comment was highly offensive and I support its deletion 100%. Metafilter doesn't need this garbage.

Seriously, though, I've been in this situation several times. I usually just convince myself I must've forgotten to hit post, but there are times I'm fairly sure I didn't. There could be some sort of rare posting glitch. Or I could be insane. It's hard to tell.
posted by Krrrlson at 3:47 PM on January 29, 2005

The same thing happened to me today, but I just chalked it up to drug use.
posted by trharlan at 4:12 PM on January 29, 2005

I think it's just a server thing. It's happened to me as well. You hit 'post' at the exact moment that the server does a peenee doonie (my niece's way of saying fart) and your comment is forever lost to the internets. Which is why I always save my comment before hitting the post button.
posted by iconomy at 4:16 PM on January 29, 2005

Because, you know, they're just that damn good.
posted by iconomy at 4:16 PM on January 29, 2005

scody, get used to it.

Now that comments disappear like dissidents in China we'll all wonder if we forgot to click submit or if the fickle finger of fate descended banishing our words to the ether without warning, notice or recourse. It won't be long before the mothers of plaza de mefi stand at the gates, speaking truth to power, demanding answers and seeking signs of the desaparecidos.

It wasn't so long ago that the answer to your question would have been obvious. It's not so obvious now.
posted by cedar at 4:21 PM on January 29, 2005

I didn't delete anything. Could be server farts or haxx0rs or forgotten post buttons. I'll look into the haxx0rness of it but I suspect it's the other reasons.
posted by mathowie at 4:26 PM on January 29, 2005

Yep. Just as I suspected. It's peenee doonies.
posted by iconomy at 4:59 PM on January 29, 2005

Sometimes I wish that peenee doonies could be applied retroactively.
posted by DaShiv at 5:04 PM on January 29, 2005

Matt, cedar's last little crack would be, um, obviated or something if you used a "(comment deleted)" whenever you actively deleted a moronic/off-topic/trolling/etc. comment.

Is it just a time thing?
posted by mediareport at 5:21 PM on January 29, 2005

So it was a peenee doonie? Must have been the beer and chicken wings last night. Sorry, I'll crack a window.
posted by arse_hat at 5:34 PM on January 29, 2005

Ah, I just saw Matt's "comment deleted" comment from a few days ago:

I have never thought that including a "comment deleted" feature was important, mostly because the next feature people would ask for is to see what was deleted, and we could argue endlessly about why each and every specific comment was deleted.

I dunno, that seems like a somewhat thin reason for sanctioning the confusing mess that often results in a thread from which the moderators have deleted comments, while retaining comments that comment on the deleted comments. If anyone starts asking to see what the comments were, just say "no." It's far more sensible than deliberately creating confusing gaps in MeFi's archive.

It's an issue of basic intelligibility, really. As a technical writer, I've always felt that not having a simple marker for deleted comments is the only feature of MeFi that's really, really clunky.
posted by mediareport at 6:03 PM on January 29, 2005

I don't so much want a "comment deleted" marker, as an email telling me my post was deleted and, preferably, why. Otherwise there's no way to learn from one's mistakes.
posted by five fresh fish at 6:35 PM on January 29, 2005

medaireport,

Off-topic: I don't think so. Isn't the topic deleted comments? Haven't comments, for whatever reason, been vanishing? I think it's quite topical, myself.

Moronic: Nah. Seems reasonable to me, then again, I posted it so it probably would. I may heve even gotten my tense right. So no. You may disagree with my comment but I don't think it qualifies as moronic. But I'll keep plugging away. Hang in there my friend, I'm bound to say something stupid soon. Any second now, even.

Trolling: Okay. I'll cop to that one if you define a troll as something intended to get a rise out of others. C'mon, it won't hurt you to break away from the herd. Roam. Roam, I say, my gentle sheep. Do not go quietly into the night, but roam free and let your freak flag fly.
posted by cedar at 6:38 PM on January 29, 2005

Several of my Ask Me comments have been mysteriously deleted.

*Poof*

There is a distinct difference in a wild troll and something you simply don't agree with.
posted by orange clock at 7:11 PM on January 29, 2005

Advantage: yhbc.
posted by squirrel at 7:21 PM on January 29, 2005

You know, I would virtually guarantee that a well thought-out, on-topic comment, anywhere on the site, one that contributes in a useful way to the discussion and isn't just a half-witty snark, an attempt at humour, a troll or a flame will not be deleted.

The conclusion one ought to draw should be obvious, I'd think.

I'm overwhelmingly in favour of any and all deletions that might result in an overall increase of the signal to noise ratio, if only because people are taking more care with their comments, and as a consequence both contributing significantly and writing things that neither Matt nor Jessamyn would delete offhandedly.

If a couple of my one-liners have been deleted, I haven't noticed, nor would I care much. If a long, on-topic, non ad homin-eminem comment that I spent a lot of time over were deleted, I'd be upset. But I don't think that's going to happen.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:35 PM on January 29, 2005

I don't so much want a "comment deleted" marker, as an email telling me my post was deleted and, preferably, why. Otherwise there's no way to learn from one's mistakes.

FFF, you be being ironic there, but in case you're not - deleted-comment markers are not for you [the commenter] they're for us [those who read the thread after deletion]. If one has made a comment that needs to be deleted, one is already in MeFi's debt and should not be asking for more of anything.

That said, a marker would tell you your post was deleted because when you went back to look at it, there would be "Comment Deleted" instead of your comment. And if you want to learn from your mistakes you could examine what you said, and if it still wasn't clear, e-mail Matt to see if you can get an answer. But again, maybe the whole thing was just a joke. I'm kind of sensitive about this.
posted by soyjoy at 7:47 PM on January 29, 2005

"If a long, on-topic, non ad homin-eminem comment that I spent a lot of time over were deleted, I'd be upset. But I don't think that's going to happen."
That is exactly what seems to be happening, but folks it's a bug. No conspiracy. I'd like a deleted comment placeholder but we have discussed that elsewhere.
posted by arse_hat at 7:51 PM on January 29, 2005

"If a couple of my one-liners have been deleted, I haven't noticed, nor would I care much. If a long, on-topic, non ad homin-eminem comment that I spent a lot of time over were deleted, I'd be upset."

Are you saying Eminem is a homo?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:09 PM on January 29, 2005

cedar, you completely misread my comment; the adjectives apply to the general class of comments that get deleted, not your specific post here (which was witty enough, I suppose, if not a very productive way to raise the point).

I.e., this isn't about you. Hope that helps.
posted by mediareport at 8:14 PM on January 29, 2005

mediareport, I'm sorry for taking your post wrong.

As far as it not being about 'me' goes, I seem to have lost track of that and am jumping on people for percieved wrongs that in reality have nothing to do with me. Your pointing this out actually did help.

I think I'll take a nap now.
posted by cedar at 9:02 PM on January 29, 2005

I'm overwhelmingly in favour of any and all deletions that might result in an overall increase of the signal to noise ratio.

As am I. Thoughtfulness is a virtue, not a vice; and if moderation helps encourage more thoughtful posts, then I'm all for it.
posted by gd779 at 7:36 AM on January 30, 2005