I want to take some of the content I have written off this site, but I can't find a way to delete, or modify articles, and I don't see a way to delete the account all together. If I get banned will my posts be deleted?
No, they won't be deleted if you're banned. If you need something taken down that you don't have the option to edit, you have to ask a mod...
I am sorry to indicate that the information given as regards the delation of items by the prior member is incorrect. We do not delete anything from the Workshop. Not even the posts of members who are banned are deleted. This is spelled out in the forum rules. https://www.writingforums.org/threads/forum-rules.6214/#post-101625
I read the forum rules and it said that content can be deleted at the discretion of site administrators. I'm sorry bother you, all of my posts are from 1+ years ago, and people have stopped replying to them. If there is any way you can help me it would be MUCH appreciated.
We do not delete workshop threads for many reasons. Were you to read further through the rules into the section specifically concerning use of the Workshop, you would see these reasons spelled out, not least of which is the fact that as a full participation workshop where the writing of critiques, not the getting of same, is the goal, the members have a right to access those critiques they took the time to write. Such critiques usually contain full quotations of works or portions offered for critique. They are not deleted for this reason. A full read of the rules, from start to finish, would have illuminated this.
@Wreybies : it may be a bit trickier than just having something in the forum rules, though. I mean, the person making the post owns the copyright on that material. If they're saying they don't want it up anymore, are you saying the side has a perpetual, non-exclusive license to the material? Not saying you have to do things one way or another, I'm just trying to understand, from a rights point of view, what the site claims to have. You may be better off having something in the critique forums that explicitly states there is a license and that requires someone posting there to acknowledge it when they make the post. That would cover the site better than having something in the rules and then having to rely on an implied license that extents beyond what the copyright owners wishes. Since I'm paid to be paranoid, I've had clients actually get written license agreements for user-submitted material, but that's not practical for a forum like this. I guess I'm partly thinking aloud and wondering what the ramifications are. What do you think?
Without irony, for I have a deep respect for your always level-headed participation in this forum, I think I'm doing what Daniel has asked. *shrug* I agree that it may be more gray than it is black and white, but it is clearly stated in the rules. And as I mentioned to the OP, what about the right of the people writing critiques to have access to them? Deleting the initial post deletes the thread, and even if it didn't, a large portion of the forum membership makes a complete quote of the OP in their critique, so the material would still be there in full. Those critiques are used for many things, not least of which is as a meter against which to measure action or inaction when it comes to the unpleasant subject of discipline. A member who is actively and productively participative in the forum's main purpose is going to be shown a different degree of leniency than one who is not participative. We start deleting Workshop threads and we lose that meter.
I agree @Wreybies. I think the policy makes certain sense. I'm just thinking of it in terms of protecting the site, and whether there might be a better way for Daniel to do that, so that if someone ever made an issue of it the site would be protected. Actually, I'm probably derailing this and it would be better done by PM. I don't know the technical limits of what can be done on the site, but there are a couple of easy options that I think would go a long way. But the site has been around for some time, so maybe it has never been a problem.
@Mark_Archibald - Not that it's any of my business, but why do you want them removed? I couldn't help but notice these same stories posted on at least two other sites on the internet. Are you trying to remove those as well or do you just have an issue with them being on this forum. I just can't think of a logical reason to have them removed since they have already been published online and are available for free.
Hehe... I can understand that but I would say to you that our workshop is a non-judgmental place for writers to learn and to grow. We're supposed to post pieces that are flawed and don't quite work, that's the point. We get feedback from others and in turn, it helps us improve on our next piece. It's not a showcase, just a learning tool. Anyway, good luck with everything.
All the more reason not to worry about them. Very few writers start out as instant craftspeople. I don't exactly understand the strictness of the no-delete policy though. I'll need to think more about it.
To address this issue: as a general policy, we do not delete posts on the site. We also don't delete entire Workshop threads. However, I've now modified the system to allow you to delete/editor your posts within the Writing Workshop. If you'd like writing you've posted removed, you can now simply go to that thread and delete it.
