General forum moderation topic-Members deleting thier posts- Can/should we stop them?

[Talisman]

Hi Rovastar,

You're not alone in trying to work out a solution to that problem. The larger a community grows, the more likely someone will get torqued and demand to have everything they've ever done be removed immediately. If that member has been participating there for years, that's a huge request to honor.

Unless some notice to the contrary is posted in a prominent and accessible place, I believe most users generally assume that all posts and original images belong to them, entirely. Quite a few forums I've been around have something in their footer which says all posts are copyright the author.. and so on.

You still have an option to set your policies differently, though. If you make acceptance of your particular terms a condition for membership in your community, then anyone who's not comfortable with your rules knows what they are and they're free to go find some other forum that suits them better.

To show what I mean, here's a passage from the rules of a very popular forum where I visit:

Disclaimer of Warranty -- All content and messages are for entertainment purposes only and reflect the views of the author. Once posted, all forum messages, private messages, and any other content become the property of <sitename>. You release <sitename> from all future claims of any kind whatsoever including, but not limited to, addiction, loss of productivity, or employment. <Sitename> cannot be held responsible for the authenticity of the content or the actions of its members.

Yes.. at this place, alot of their members get totally obsessed with the forum... to the point that some regularly request temporary ban because they can't stop posting there, day and night. (Really weird, but that's how these people get.)

I don't really know how well this rule might hold up as a legal issue, but if such a notice is plainly presented at the time new members join... then at least you've made your intention with respect to ownership very clear. Seems to me that this would put the burden on them then to either accept, question, challege, or refuse your terms right when they join your group.

If this has not been your policy up until now and you want to change the rules, then treat this matter the same way you would any other policy change. Make a general announcement to your members that it's become necessary to make a policy change. Let them know what the change will be, when it will become effective (say, within 30 days of your announcement), and tell them your reason. This gives your members full notice and some time to kick the notion around for a while. Anyone who seriously objects to your policy change will have to decide for themselves if they're willing to accept it anyway or just leave your group.