Change Request:
On behalf of myself and fellow forum members, I request that forum participants avoid deleting threads they have started after other members of the forum have invest in discussions there.
If you need to delete the initial post of a thread you started, please use the edit feature to remove the text of your own message, rather than deleting the entire thread and everyone else's contribution to it.
Basis for Request:
There has been an increasing pattern of thread deletions by forum members during the past year. I grant that the owner of any post has a right to remove their own material at their discretion. However, I contend that material contributed by other individuals should not be removed other than by the forum moderators.
Whether intended or not, removal of others' material by virtue of thread deletion implies a disrespect for the contributions of others. The behavioral reinforcement of deleting or disrespecting others' contributions will discourage participation of other forum members regardless of their viewpoint or value of their contribution on issues. ( E.g., Who wants to waste time contributing when their writing is just going to be randomly deleted anyway, or possibly never seen at all?)
Removal of others' material constitutes not only a disrespect for the material itself, but disrespect for the thought and time investment of the writer(s), as well as the value of the discussion to others, readers and writers alike.
The ability for a thread starter to delete a whole thread may be a technical flaw in the system. Therefore I will also submit a change request to the forum management in hopes they can remedy the problem.
Last and possibly least, the deletion of threads is highly annoying.
Regards,
- Kathy Jo