Unfortunately a poster can delete any comments posted by any user.... it really sucks that that can happen... but it does. If anyone makes a comment to the deleted comment later.... and then the original comment is deleted it makes the whole string afterward look strange.... some people just don't have the *stones* to leave it all there.... good and bad.... people have complained about this feature for a long time now.... yet it still exists.

You can view all of your past posts and comments through your profile.... I don't think the deleted comments get erased there... but I could be wrong about this.... Jason can tell you.

I agree they have the right to delete a reply. That's not my point. How do you feel about a person doing this?

I like the feature for "safety" measures. If a person figures out who I am puts my phone number or home address, or where my kids go to school, I want to be able to delete that as soon as I can.

You have a point about the security thing..... but to delete comments just because you don't agree with some one elses viewpoint is just wrong.

When they're gone they're gone...even from your own profile.  There are only  3 people who can delete comments.  The person who originated the blog, Jason, and the person who posted on that blog.   

I've stated before if I discover someone is deleting I won't post on that blog.  I don't want my comments hanging around in mid air referring to something that is no longer there.  I can look dumb enough on my own...I don't need a deleter to help me out. 

(edited for some doozy typos)

mtn..in case I didn't make it clear....if you see someone has posted your personal information you cannot delete it.  You'd need to email Jason right away.

Mtndew, Buffoo is well known for refusing to post both sides of an issue. Nine out of ten of his blogs never even get so much as one reply. He's like the guy in high-water pants who hasn't taken a bath in months standing on a street corner downtown and waving a ragged Good News Bible while insisting that, "we're in the last days." People avoid him at something more than arm's length. 

I'm with Nancy.  I usually take it a step further and if one of my comments gets deleted on a blog, I delete the rest.  Of course, I don't get comments deleted much because I stay off the blogs where folks delete.

Nancy, the one thing that bugs me is that when a comment is deleted by a blog owner, the "smite button" reaches all the way down in the database and wipes the whole thing.  Now, I know from a programming standpoint that's easier, but I've seen people put serious work into some comments and then *poof*.

It's one thing to be able to remove a comment, but to fully smite it seems, well, rude.

It is certainly not just a "Christian censorship".  There is another blogger here with a lot in common with you, Mtnd, that deletes comments from his blogs all the time.  Heck, he even deletes the whole blog if the conversation drifts from what he wanted.  My understanding is that the feature is there so that the bloggers can "police" themselves since the administrater can't be online 24/7 and blatantly objectionable comments can be deleted from one's blog.  "Delete button abuse" is a common problem that is usually dealt with by just not commenting on that blogger's post's anymore.  And fortunately, everybody can delete their own comments if they want.  Kinda like blogging in pencil so you can erase your mistakes.  

It appears that most people who delete comments are extremely insecure.  They would rather delete a comment than look like a fool when someone calls them out.  Deleting comments shows a sign of weakness in the person who does the deleting.

The only time deleting someone else's comment is appropriate is when it is an actual threat or personal attack.  The problem is, some people think any disagreeing words can be construed as a personal attack.

Socialists and Communists love to censor others.  That is especially true in the 20th Century.  Before that the Catholic Church and Church of England which both functioned much like socialists governments did the same thing.  Its that mindset that if you allow competing information and opinions, you might lose your power to control the masses.  Just a random thought from history.   Global warming advocates are doing this right now.

Off topic-LOL. What are "Global warming advocates" Do they advocate global warming, or advocate against global warming?

I'm actually okay with having the ability to delete comments from your blog.  What I don't like is that once that person removes your comment, it's just gone!  You don't have a copy.   Some people delete comments and then, when you try to bring up something you've asked them or told them, they feign ignorance by saying that you never did/said/asked that.  There are a few posters for whom I either a) won't post or b) I copy/paste my message into my word notebook. I don't think it's a Christian thing so much as it reflects a person's confidence or control issues or ability to debate/discuss.  There are Christians here who blog and discuss well and then there are those who don't.  Similarly, there are bound to be some atheists who delete more than others and some who leave everything.   

They advocate that global warming is a genuine threat. Most are "children of the 60s" or the offspring thereof, and have hopscotched from one "cause" to another along the way. Global warming is merely their latest gig; they'll be on to something else in a few years.

Possum, if I post something that I believe might be deleted, I'll copy it. I used to do this with Buffoo on a regular basis; I'd then put the post front and center in a new blog for all to see, and at the same time I would peel Buffoo like a banana. I copy posts about three or four times a week, and have them ready just in case some deleting yellowbelly feigns ignorance.

OK, all, I'm out for the night. I'm gonna go catch up on my porn watching. Peace to all.

I've only deleted another person's comment once.  It was a really nasty one about Blognroll.  Other than that, I'm more likely to delete my own worst behavior.

quote:  "It appears that most people who delete comments are extremely insecure".

The ONLY time I have been deleted from a blog was from Marilee Shrill.

 I don't delete anything on my xxxxx  xxxx xxxxxxx   xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx x xx xxxxxx xx xxxxxxx

Buffoo goes further and locks people out of his blogs.  It's because of his demonstrated lack of faith.  He can't stand to see opposing viewpoints.

Mtndewrob, is that Harvey Milk?

Deleting a disagreeable, but rule-abiding post is certainly a form of censorship. But it has nothing to do with First Amendment rights. The First Amendment applies to governments and their agents, not to individuals. The risk is not a legal one, but whether such a deletion meets the needs of the community that the host represents. A blog host is quite free to delete or block whomsoever he or she will according to the needs of  the blogger's intended audience. Even so, the online host may gain or lose membership from the community, if the community at large agrees or disagrees with the action. Censorship in such cases is more a moral and social issue than anything else. 

I have looked at some blogs that are clearly intended for a "believing" audience, but  "unbelievers" become wrathful and figure their two cents is worth dropping into the blog bucket. For example, mntdewrob is a true believer in his cause and he is experiencing difficulty in his encounter with an unbeliever. Will his sissyphean battle have a good ending? Will the unbeliver be overwhelmed by his tender ministrations of sweet reason and surrender to a gay gospel? Or, will vice go versa? Ultimately, only the Gods' themselves know...

It had a good ending, Gaslight. Sisyphus' rock rolled down the hill and squashed Buffoo.

Mostly because they are sermons and not debates. Sometimes you see the thread locked before you can even respond.

It's funny though, when the blog is not attacking atheists or non christians, they don't seem to get any response to their posts.

So, in one sense, they don't have much of an audience when they put out unhateful things, but when they don't like a response, they just delete it.

Personally, I think most of them are driving people AWAY from Christianity by judging them. That was not Jesus' way. A more useful tact to bring people to the fold may be to make them think, not judge them.

Anti, that's because a bag of rocks that "has Jesus," is still just a bag of rocks.

Personally, I think most of them are driving people AWAY from Christianity by judging them.

The Pope is one of the chief causes of atheism in America today...bless his heart.

 I don't care what people throw at me, good bad or they can tell me to kiss their ass, I have never deleted any ones post.

I may not approve of what they posted but, they have as much right as I do, to post it.  Jason may take it down, but I won't.  Mostly, I leave em up so others can have a laugh as well

Not my place to Judge, the Old Man upstairs, will be taking care of that one. ;=)))

That is most likely true John, but you can't expect a Christian to at least be respectful of your view, if you are not respectful of theirs.

And the view of one issue does not necessarily mean that you might not agree on a variety of other topics.

For instance, I agree with you much more often than not, but I also believe that global warming is as real as gravity. That doesn't mean that anyone knows exactly what will transpire in the future, or that there aren't some leftover hippies out there that would believe it no matter what the evidence is. But the evidence is overwhelming that there is global warming occurring, and a big part of that evidence points to acceleration by human activity. Does that mean Florida will someday be underwater, who knows, but we better at least pay attention to the warning signs.

Which leads me to think that although we have different viewpoints on this issue, I don't think that my opinion is the only valid one possible.

I have deleted my own replies and responses in the past after re-reading them and realizing they sounded silly, rude or immature. Sometimes when people become hateful or get personal, the need to delete remarks may become necessary. I post because I want people to know how I feel. Deleting their responses would not only be unfair, but would cheapen my opinion.

When I post on certain subjects I already know which folks are going to take issue with me and I am OK with that because those very same people are OK with my arguments with them. Most of us here like each other and see no reason to be rude or deletelful...Can I say that on TV?