Think, Write, Re-Think, Erase or Post, Deal With It

[Chris Fultz]

Some of the threads are supporting some very good, candid discussion, but there are many posters who are posting and then having "poster-remorse" and deleting their post or asking moderators to delete their posts.

Back when we all wrote letters and used stamps and mailmen, there was a saying that if you have a confrontational letter to write, you should write it, read it, then put it in a drawer for a day. Then go back and read it and decide if you still want to send it. Most of the times those letters never get sent after the cool-off period.

With electronic communications, that is harder to do, so you have to check yourself before making some posts. Re-read what you write, decide it you want to post it or delay. If you delay, you can think about it over night and then decide if you really wanted to say what you said. Once you post it, it is pretty much there for all and really, really hard to take back. And yes, what you post does reflect on you and your team, regardless of your disclaimers.

Think, Write, Re-Think, Erase or Poste - and Deal With it Either Way.

[xSAWxBLADEx]

Thank you very much for taking my thoughts and posting them. I actually noticed this when I deleted my first post. There are way too much deletions on this forum. My suggestion is just think before you post just like you think before you speak.

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

Back when we all wrote letters and used stamps and mailmen, there was a saying that if you have a confrontational letter to write, you should write it, read it, then put it in a drawer for a day.

No, surely not! No one was alive back then! (Someone had to say it)

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

Think, Write, Re-Think, Erase or Poste - and Deal With it Either Way.

I can definitively say my post count on CD would be rather higher without this rule. And the average quality would be rather lower if I actually submitted all those posts. On the other hand, my blood pressure would be higher if I hadn't written them in the first place. It's a win-win! Well... except for my free time. Hmmm....

A+ to Chris for reminding us all that you don't HAVE to hit submit just because you spent the last 15 minutes fuming and typing up a post. And that you own it once you do hit that button.

[bduddy]

I've probably backed out from more posts on CD than I've actually submitted... this has almost certainly avoided making a lot of people angry, and quite possibly avoided some interesting discussions. Just remember that you can always save a post (in Notepad or wherever) and come back to it later... but once you've submitted something, even if you click "Delete" you can never really take it back.

[EricH]

Quite often, in the more "hot topic" posts (especially mentor-built accusation threads), I find myself typing up a very hot-under-the-collar response. I usually delete it before it's posted. I have also been known to post something to the effect of "You really need to search around, this thread is not a good idea. I don't trust myself to answer professionally right now; I'll post more later when I've had time to get my thoughts in order."

If a post is on a serious topic, I can sometimes spend 20 minutes and 3-4 major edits before I deem it ready to post, if I don't decide that it's not a good idea to post. In such cases, I tend to use the "Preview Post" button (next to "Submit Reply", as it happens) to both see how the post will look in the thread and see if there has been any activity since I started typing that I think I should include a response to--it's a lot easier to read one post than two, IMO.

[Grim Tuesday]

I didn't use to read and reread my posts before posting them. Then I joined Chief Delphi, the most serious and professional forum on the internet. I think that before posting anything, you should remember that you have a team number above your post, and read it from they lens.

[sandiegodan]

Self examination:

Does it need to be said?
Does it need to be said now?
Does it need to be said now by me?

Yes, I understand the irony in posting this.

[DonRotolo]

Yeah, I write about twice as many posts as I actually post. And the more important posts get thought about and re-written a lot.

[Brandon Holley]

Reported.

[Craig Roys]

If nothing else, the deleted post brought this thread back near the top. With all the opinions flying around, it might be a good idea for people to re-read this.

[Astrokid248]

Agreed. I just had my first experience with posting something stupid and editing it out (thank you for PMing me and saving all parties much embarrassment, Chris is Me, you're a wonderful person), and I'm officially following this guide now. CD is great because it's one of the few places on the internet where politeness is actually put on a pedestal, instead of frowned upon or drowned out in flame wars.