[RFC|Accepted] Soft Delete

[imkingdavid]

How about merging the functionality of disapprove into soft delete? In other words, currently when a post is disapproved from the queue, it is hard deleted. So why not just make it soft deleted? Then you don't have two different types of visibility.

Also, at what scenario can a post be both disapproved and soft deleted?

[nickvergessen]

How about merging the functionality of disapprove into soft delete? In other words, currently when a post is disapproved from the queue, it is hard deleted. So why not just make it soft deleted? Then you don't have two different types of visibility.

I think you got that one wrong? When a post is "disapproved" it is just gone. No need for any further status there.

Also, at what scenario can a post be both disapproved and soft deleted?

Code: Select all

<brunoais> It contains a approved unapproved state?
<brunoais> those are imcompatible
<nickvergessen> this is what the status of the topic is
<nickvergessen> when it has posts of the named kind in it

[canonknipser]

Disapprove can be a mistake (eg. wrong button pressed by moderator). If a disapproved post is only softdeleted, it can be restored.

so +1 for disapprove = softdelete

[EXreaction]

I'm not sure there would ever need to be a case where we allow both soft deleting and disapproving on a single post. If it is unapproved, do not allow soft deleting it, and there is no way to go back and set a post to unapproved after it's been approved.

[Pony99CA]

When I was thinking of trying to implement invisible posts, I was going to use the Disapproval mechanism to hide them. However, there were two issues.

First, how do you handle post counts when soft deleting? Do post counts decrement on soft deletes or only on hard deletes?

Second, I believe that the author should be able to see (and edit) unapproved posts -- and now posts that he soft deleted. This means that the poster should get the same icon that Moderators see for unapproved posts (and topics containing unapproved posts), but clicking it won't take them to the MCP. However, I do not think that he should be able to see posts that a Moderator soft deleted. (The former would probably be new function, though, and may require a separate RFC.)

However, if you make soft delete a kind of "disapproval" mechanism, that eliminates the problem of the MCP not having a separate Disapprove action (for public/previously approved posts) -- you use Delete and choose hard or soft.

You may also want to look at the linked topic for a list of potential pitfalls and questions, as well as EXreaction's existing Soft Delete MOD to see how that handled things. For example, in that MOD, only Moderators and Admins appear to be able to hard delete (and the post may have to have been soft deleted first); user deletions are all soft deletes.

Steve

[EXreaction]

Ah yes, I did not allow users to soft delete posts at all. It's been a while so I don't remember the specifics even myself ^_^

Here are the db changes I made:

Code: Select all

$db_tool->sql_column_add(POSTS_TABLE, 'post_deleted', array('UINT', 0)); // 0 for undeleted or user_id of the one who deleted
$db_tool->sql_column_add(POSTS_TABLE, 'post_deleted_time', array('TIMESTAMP', 0));

$db_tool->sql_column_add(TOPICS_TABLE, 'topic_deleted', array('UINT', 0)); // 0 for undeleted or user_id of the one who deleted
$db_tool->sql_column_add(TOPICS_TABLE, 'topic_deleted_time', array('TIMESTAMP', 0));
$db_tool->sql_column_add(TOPICS_TABLE, 'topic_deleted_reply_count', array('UINT', 0));

$db_tool->sql_column_add(FORUMS_TABLE, 'forum_deleted_topic_count', array('UINT', 0));
$db_tool->sql_column_add(FORUMS_TABLE, 'forum_deleted_reply_count', array('UINT', 0));

$permissions = array(
	'local'      => array(
		'm_harddelete',
	),
	'global'   => array(
		'm_harddelete',
	)
);

[MichaelC]

How about merging the functionality of disapprove into soft delete? In other words, currently when a post is disapproved from the queue, it is hard deleted. So why not just make it soft deleted? Then you don't have two different types of visibility.

+1

[Pony99CA]

How about merging the functionality of disapprove into soft delete? In other words, currently when a post is disapproved from the queue, it is hard deleted. So why not just make it soft deleted? Then you don't have two different types of visibility.

+1

As I mentioned above, you may still have two different types of visibility. If a Moderator disapproves (or soft deletes) a post, I think we can all agree that the user should not see that post. However, if the user soft deletes the post, should the user be able to see the post and restore it? I think that he should (just like I think that the user should be able to see his own unapproved posts).

If others agree with me, you still have two types of visibility based on who did the soft delete.

Steve

[callumacrae]

As I mentioned above, you may still have two different types of visibility. If a Moderator disapproves (or soft deletes) a post, I think we can all agree that the user should not see that post. However, if the user soft deletes the post, should the user be able to see the post and restore it?

In my opinion, no. It is how vBulletin does it, and it seems to work fine.

[Pony99CA]

As I mentioned above, you may still have two different types of visibility. If a Moderator disapproves (or soft deletes) a post, I think we can all agree that the user should not see that post. However, if the user soft deletes the post, should the user be able to see the post and restore it?

In my opinion, no. It is how vBulletin does it, and it seems to work fine.

Shouldn't we aspire to be better than vBulletin?

Steve