As far as I understand, it was only the Welcome topic, and only the last ten days/1000 posts that have been archived. I’ve checked that topic, and there’s nothing I’ve said there that I wouldn’t say in public. So, if you’re keeping the archive, you do not need to delete my contributions. Although, please let me know if the archive extends beyond what I just said it does so that I can reevaluate.
However, given the extreme opposition and almost complete lack of support that has been shown for this initiative, I think it might be better if you delete the archive, or, at the very least, keep it only for your own personal use (encrypted, password protected, and airgapped).
This really, really seems like the wrong way to do it. If anything, this would be better as an opt-in rather than an opt-out. Just because people are regulars doesn’t mean they’re even guaranteed to see this within the time window you’ve given here (the main reason I saw this thread at all is because I read entirely through the “changes” post during time I really shouldn’t have).
Opt-in makes more work. If people wanted their own posts, they can download everything, including their lounge posts, from their profile page. The purged version will retain most of the context around posts, though there will be quite a bit of:
Poster: a_regular
Avatar: a mute icon
"Post has been been removed from archive at poster’s request."
Yes, yes it does. But you’re dealing with other people’s content here, so it should be easy for them to maintain the status quo.
To properly do this as opt-out, you would need to make it as certain as possible that everyone involved received notice and had time to confirm for themselves whether they wanted to do this. You’re not going to be able to put the toothpaste back into the tube after the fact.
… No, I won’t [be able to recork the genie]. But what I can do is make a list of everybody whose posts are contained in the release candidate and then notify those people both publicly and privately and wait an additional 72 hours before making another release candidate.
Why not? Honest question.
“rm -f” or such, will do fine. And we just need to believe you did. (In that sense indeed, putting the genie back in the bottle is a bit difficult).
I am trying to balance the needs and wishes of two groups: those who no longer have access due to last night’s shuttering but would like a copy, and those who wish for privacy. To delete the archive entire is a great disservice to the first group; to not preserve privacy is a great wrong to the second. Purging the archive of posts upon request - which will be proceeding in a general “opt out” thread first, and then a list of remaining posters made and contacted to request their permission for inclusion.
Edit:
I apologize for not being more clear about what steps I am taking to make an archive while honoring requests for privacy. Last night was stressful, I was kicked offline by a family member (who has gained superhearing thanks to pregnancy) and had to make some posts from mobile.
Speaking only for myself, I was talking about after any potential sending of it to someone outside of their own control.
There may be some merit to the effort, but ethically bringing the information out from behind the controls it was previously behind really needs a lot more thought than “I’ll do it unless each individual involved takes the time to specifically ask me to keep them out of it”.
I agree here.
But because that was not done (the asking), and opt-in was not any more an option, the second best seemed to be the possibility given to do an opt-out.
And more important, to give people the possibility to speak, outside of a busy topic.
Reminds me of the time an asshole administrator at one roleplay/writing forum deleted all the posts. Everything. I had made a partial archive of that forum; some of the refugees were able to reconstruct their characters and on-going story threads from it.
There was also the contingent who just wanted everything burned.
