Is there any possible way of delete every article and comment I posted on doomworld?

[real slush59134]

Title says it all, is there any way?

[Edward850]

There's no user function to do this so it's something you'll need to discuss with the moderation team. Generally speaking mass deleting content is only done in very specific circumstances, as it's otherwise rather rude to destroy the continuity of existing threads.

Edited September 20, 2023 by Edward850

[DNSKILL5]

Just log off and don’t sign back on and everything will move on without you. 

[Caffeine Freak]

What is it with people requesting to nuke their accounts? I've seen it at least a few times recently. It used to be that people would just stop posting and never come back, or make a 'Fuck Doomworld' thread where they raged and aired their grievances and then finished it off with something like 'I'm done, ban me'.

 

Is it because people are more used to modern social networks where you can just up and delete your shit whenever you decide you're finished? I feel like that's as good of an explanation as any.

I wish people still quit the old way, it was more entertaining. 

Edited September 20, 2023 by Caffeine Freak

[Murdoch]

2 hours ago, real slush59134 said:

Title says it all, is there any way?

 

No. And if you had not posted this, neither you nor any of your previous postings would have drawn attention to themselves.

[magicsofa]

I just skimmed through all 119 of your posts and I can't imagine why you would even care to delete any of this... interestingly I found that you asked about this before:

 

[Captain red pants]

3 minutes ago, magicsofa said:

interestingly I found that you asked about this before

Maybe he knows something about Doomworld we don't!

[Blzut3]

The thread magicsofa linked provides a perfect opportunity to demonstrate why it's futile to even try, most of your posts are probably on the Internet archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20230806174016/https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/134974-we-should-be-able-to-delete-our-posts-ourselves/?tab=comments

[Gregor]

3 hours ago, real slush59134 said:

Is there any possible way of delete every article and comment I posted on doomworld?

No! There's no escape from DOOMWORLD. You're soul belongs to us for all ETERNITY! WUAH, HAR, HAR, HAR, HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!

[Zilch]

 

Haha, this is just too funny!  Seems that real slushy actually took this comment somewhat serious as well.

[Majin]

your sins are here forever

[Lila Feuer]

4 hours ago, Caffeine Freak said:

I wish people still quit the old way, it was more entertaining. 

 

Screw you guys I'm goin' home!

[NoWits]

If you're that embarrassed about your posts, you could perhaps create a new account or change your account's name. Drastic measure I know, but you seem that adamant on erasing your history. There will always be traces here and there though (I should know, this account was once under a different name).

 

Generally, as time goes by, if someone does happen to stumble upon a cringe post by you, they'll see it's from years back and that you'll likely have grown since then. If anyone's delving through your post history, that says more about them.

 

(Huh, I swear I had my own 'I sincerely apologise to anyone who knew me in 2008, please delete all my posts' thread under this account. Maybe ironically it was the only one that did get deleted.)

[Biodegradable]

If you prove to not be a particularly special case that warrants the deletion of your post history/account, you can just edit all of your posts to say nothing at all, change your username to NOBODY or something, delete your profile pic and then never log back in again.

[Untamed64]

"I'll make my own Doomworld, with blackjack and hookers!"

[MrFlibble]

8 hours ago, Biodegradable said:

If you prove to not be a particularly special case that warrants the deletion of your post history/account, you can just edit all of your posts to say nothing at all, change your username to NOBODY or something, delete your profile pic and then never log back in again.

I may have wrong ideas of "forum culture", but whenever I browse a topic in a forum and come across a user who did exactly this (which is, in my experience, very rare), I can't help but think how... impolite that is, because it somewhat disrupts the conversations that took place. It certainly feels like overreaction, although of course there is usually no way to find out what caused a user to quit in such way, and if there indeed were legit reasons for this kind of behaviour.

[Biodegradable]

7 hours ago, MrFlibble said:

I may have wrong ideas of "forum culture", but whenever I browse a topic in a forum and come across a user who did exactly this (which is, in my experience, very rare), I can't help but think how... impolite that is, because it somewhat disrupts the conversations that took place. It certainly feels like overreaction, although of course there is usually no way to find out what caused a user to quit in such way, and if there indeed were legit reasons for this kind of behaviour.

 

Without a doubt, Flibb. Personally, I'd much rather people be mature and own their actions, but people are also not contractually obligated to preserve their own posts for the sake of a thread, as annoying as it can be for others reading said thread after the fact.

[insertwackynamehere]

I used to think things needed to be permanent and dutifully archived but I actually now think the ability to nuke one’s personal footprint on the web is a growing privacy rights concern.

 

I think whether or not someone feels OCD about a thread with half the comments missing is less important than the right to be forgotten. I’m in US where I don’t believe has any legal footing yet, but my understanding is that it does in the EU. I think that with the pushes to reign in overreaching technology and emphasize privacy, it’s going to get to the point where it’s a legal requirement everywhere.

 

I know that in practice you can’t unring a bell, but also you kind of can when you are a nobody who wants to make it extremely hard to dig up stupid posts online from high school. What’s interesting is that old school web forum goers tend to be very vocal about privacy (and encryption and other technology-as-rights causes) while criticizing mainstream social media for privacy reasons. But this facet of privacy seems to be completely backwards compared to mainstream social media.

Edited September 21, 2023 by insertwackynamehere

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

Here's what you do: think of a user here that really grinds your gears. Now, change your username to match theirs as close as you can. Copy their profile picture and forum rank, assume their identity and see how long you can get away with making fart jokes in every thread. You'll be banned forever, you'll have forever tainted the image and reputation of your enemy, and you'll have provided entertainment for scoundrels with no morals. Careful not to lose your soul in the process.

[ETTiNGRiNDER]

@insertwackynamehere I'm not sure I can agree that "Right to be Forgotten" should be a thing.  Trying to rewrite the past and sweep things under the rug is an entirely different beast from not wanting corporations tracking everything you do online and spamming you with ads, especially when it's the sort of thing that crooked politicians and the like are going to use to try to avoid being asked awkward questions along the lines of "hey, about that time you did The Thing that you're currently legislating against..." (more than they already try to do this)

 

Better if people realized that hey, we were all young and dumb at one point and maybe we shouldn't have such a stick up our asses about a lot of the things we do.

 

But you're probably right about it being inevitable, because the Internet ultimately goes to whatever benefits the rich and powerful while pushing things that benefit the common folk to the fringes and the underground.  And this would definitely benefit the rich and powerful.

[Jello]

29 minutes ago, insertwackynamehere said:

I used to think things needed to be permanent and dutifully archived but I actually now think the ability to nuke one’s personal footprint on the web is a growing privacy rights concern.

 

I think whether or not someone feels OCD about a thread with half the comments missing is less important than the right to be forgotten. I’m in US where I don’t believe has any legal footing yet, but my understanding is that it does in the EU. I think that with the pushes to reign in overreaching technology and emphasize privacy, it’s going to get to the point where it’s a legal requirement everywhere.

 

I know that in practice you can’t unring a bell, but also you kind of can when you are a nobody who wants to make it extremely hard to dig up stupid posts online from high school. What’s interesting is that old school web forum goers tend to be very vocal about privacy (and encryption and other technology-as-rights causes) while criticizing mainstream social media for privacy reasons. But this facet of privacy seems to be completely backwards compared to mainstream social media.

I did research the "Right to be Forgotten" laws that have been going through EU Countries for the last few years, and I don't disagree with them. However they seem ultimately focused on people who have had their lives upended or ruined based on things they regret. Mainly people who have been involved in pornographic videos, and at times against their will. Or people who have had their names slandered due to lawsuits or criminal cases that were later found to be false. In those cases, I would agree that there should be a certain degree of protection. I think there should be absolute protection when they're abused due to someone disseminating content about them that directly harms their livelihood. 

 

The "Right to be Forgotten" doesn't, and shouldn't extend to making an account under a pseudonym, and making dumbass statements on a forum, just because you regret them later. As soon as we open it up to made up accounts and alter aliases, then anyone can say anything about anyone without repercussions. And I don't think that's the intent of those laws. The laws are to protect those being abused, not those who said shit that they don't want other people to see.

 

And in the end, pay attention to what you say on forums. I've said things on here that I wish I wouldn't have said, but over twenty years, there's a guarantee that I'll post something that I'll regret. That's called life.

[Lucius Wooding]

I don't agree with conflating modern social media platforms with forums in this kind of manner. I've weighed in on this in the past, but since I haven't thrown a tantrum and deleted my posts you're all free to find whatever thread it was and read them.

 

Among the differences:

 

-Social media platforms will generally employ a discoverability algorithm and try to match your profile to others you may know or those who share interests. People who you go to school or church with, friends of family members, and neighbors or prospective employers will often have your content pushed onto their feed without your approval or intent. This is not the case on Doomworld; it's a niche forum for Doom players and will only be found by people googling Doom related topics. Discoverability algorithms are great for promotion (such as if you're trying to gain followers and saturate everyone you might know) and trying to fine tune which content you like so the platform can make ad revenue off of you. Neither of those things are really significant here, as anyone trying to gain a following will do so by promoting their Twitch/Youtube channels and not their forum account. 

 

-Other personal information will often be tied to your account on other platforms, often one's real name, photos of you and people you know, possibly your address or pictures of your house for example. It's a lot easier to doxx yourself or be found by someone looking for you. This is not the case on Doomworld unless you really make it your goal. Facebook and Instagram can be scary with all the information you're putting out there if it goes into the wrong hands. 

 

-There's no real verification process to make an account or post here. You can use any email and then make your forum username Muffslammer420 or Fartknocker69 or whatever, and nobody is going to know. As long as you personally aren't careless with your personal info, it's not going to be propagated or exposed aside from your own posts on this platform. Therefore as an alternative to being able to delete everything, you have anonymity instead. 

[insertwackynamehere]

At least with GDPR, it’s definitely related to being able to delete social media accounts and other mundane things of that nature, in addition to abuse. The limitations are if some obligation exists to hold onto specific data (banking stuff for example with its own regulations) and there are exceptions. But what GDPR and similar legislation are pushing for is literally the right to have all personal data deleted upon request for any reason, assuming no business need exists. Enforcement is still a big question mark outside of the major players in tech who cooperate and offer data deletion portals because they are easy to sue and can see the future coming down the line. And I don’t know how it applies to pseudonyms, but I doubt it’s favorable if anything can be linked back to a real person as they have a very stringent idea of user identifying information.

 

Similar legislation exists in California now so big tech is really on the hook. I don’t want this to sound like I’m whining about Doomworld not supporting this because a legitimate complaint about all of it is how technically burdensome it is for smaller players. But I do know that this is not just about extreme situations like abuse; it is about the right to have your personal data removed at any time for any reason (with a handful of legitimate exceptions).

 

https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/reform/rights-citizens/my-rights/can-i-ask-company-delete-my-personal-data_en#:~:text=Yes%2C you can ask for,be deleted at any time.

 

also of course ianal…I’m now curious about this in general and found this: https://law.stackexchange.com/a/32370

 

it seems pseudoanonymizing a user fulfills the deletion obligation perhaps? And if everyone is a pseudonym already than I guess it comes down to if that pseudonym is recognizable as a person for some out of band reason 

Edited September 21, 2023 by insertwackynamehere

[Caffeine Freak]

4 hours ago, Jello said:

And in the end, pay attention to what you say on forums. I've said things on here that I wish I wouldn't have said, but over twenty years, there's a guarantee that I'll post something that I'll regret. That's called life.

 

In the bigger picture, this can also be a net positive for personal growth. In my 13 years here, I've said things on this forum that I don't agree with today, and in some cases regard as pretty immature or foolish. But having those posts preserved in some sense can help bring clarity later on---if you're inclined to read over your own posts from years in the past, as I sometimes am. It makes it all the easier to look back and say 'oh yeah, that's where I was mentally/emotionally/experience-wise at that point in time. I can see what I was thinking and can see the flaws in it now.' (Alternately, it can help you realize if you're repeating certain thought or behavioral patterns.) Effectively, forum posts can become something of a time-freeze display of the thoughts and states of mind from a younger version of yourself. My real point here is that even if you're embarrassed or regret some of the things you've said in the past, I think in a lot of ways it can be more beneficial to have them preserved for the sake of retrospection rather than simply being able to wipe them all from visible existence.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Caffeine Freak

[Redneckerz]

If you are from 2006, that makes you 17. We say a lot of shit during our times but i find it entertaining to read back upon later. I do notice its common for people of similar age to do the same thing, so i know its not a bot doing this.

 

On 9/20/2023 at 4:34 AM, Caffeine Freak said:

What is it with people requesting to nuke their accounts?

Because it is usually done by young folks asking what in their mind are funny questions or they release what in their mind are funny wads and then, when people don't actually care about that, they just wanna leave as if they have never existed.

 

Its basically teenage angst condensed in a forum user.

 

On 9/20/2023 at 5:24 AM, Murdoch said:

No. And if you had not posted this, neither you nor any of your previous postings would have drawn attention to themselves.

At first i thought this sounded harsh, but then i read the topics of OP, a lot of it centered on please notice me and all that. Its the kind of content that has been made many times before.

 

21 hours ago, Biodegradable said:

If you prove to not be a particularly special case that warrants the deletion of your post history/account, you can just edit all of your posts to say nothing at all, change your username to NOBODY or something, delete your profile pic and then never log back in again.

I actually prefer people wouldn't, because one may destroy some interesting/historic detail. Ofcourse, there is archive.org, but re-editing your posts to ., especially years after the fact, feels both very tedious and rude.

[Biodegradable]

2 hours ago, Redneckerz said:

I actually prefer people wouldn't, because one may destroy some interesting/historic detail. Ofcourse, there is archive.org, but re-editing your posts to ., especially years after the fact, feels both very tedious and rude.

 

To reiterate, Red:

 

8 hours ago, Biodegradable said:

Personally, I'd much rather people be mature and own their actions, but people are also not contractually obligated to preserve their own posts for the sake of a thread, as annoying as it can be for others reading said thread after the fact.

 

[Azuris]

On 9/20/2023 at 4:34 AM, Caffeine Freak said:

What is it with people requesting to nuke their accounts? I've seen it at least a few times recently.

 

Mostly unstable Psychology that leads to extreme Decision.

 

[OniriA]

On 9/20/2023 at 2:26 AM, real slush59134 said:

Is there any possible way of delete every article and comment I posted?

 

Only if your name is Elon Musk i'm afraid.

[Redneckerz]

2 hours ago, Biodegradable said:

 

To reiterate, Red:

 

 

I know, i know, but from a archivists hat, its annoying :P