The Lemon Fool

Is it possible (and easy) to get all a user's posts to be deleted from a particular forum?

zico wrote:Is it possible (and easy) to get all a user's posts to be deleted from a particular forum?

It's definitely possible as there have been users that have asked for all of their posts on TLF to be deleted and I think it is a requirement by law that TLF consents.

It's not an 'easy' job though, I don't think.

HYD

It is complicated when you take into account post where the poster has been "quoted". You have to search every thread and then manually edit or delete, which then means you should need to scan other follow on posts . It leads to strange posts in threads.

I woul have thought that the owners would look at changing the "rules" so that they need not go down this route.

It is not necessarily a legal requirement, that depends on a number of factors.

In practical terms it is something that TLF has done on a number of occasions. It is however not easy if they have put up a lot of posts, and it can make many historic threads nigh-on unreadable, especially if there is quoted text that is also deleted as part of the exercise.

It would be helpful if people could explain why they are asking to avoid trying to chase down all the different perms & combinations re this issue.

dspp

It is possible to delete ALL posts from an individual user for the WHOLE of Lemonfool. However, that potentially leaves quoted text. I am also unaware of any mechanism for deleting an individual's post on one board here.

dspp wrote:It is however not easy if they have put up a lot of posts, and it can make many historic threads nigh-on unreadable, especially if there is quoted text that is also deleted as part of the exercise.

It also risks rendering the time and effort put in to the threads by other posters as incomprehensible gibberish, or stripping their posts of context significantly changing the way in which their posts come across. It is an act of vandalism which shows no respect or consideration for the contribution of others.

We need to make it clear that all content is given unconditionally to the site once it is posted here. We should do this now. Chris out.

csearle wrote:We need to make it clear that all content is given unconditionally to the site once it is posted here. We should do this now. Chris out.

Indeed, and I quite agree.

That is done by way of a grant of an irrevocable licence, which does not entail transfer of copyright. However it does run contrary to any right to be forgotten, and I haven't seen any court cases where the conflict has (yet) been resolved so it is a somewhat grey area. When I have previously trawled through the Ts&Cs of the large social media sites both approaches were being deployed.

There is a slight nuance that could be deployed, which is an irrevocable licence to content, but where in the event of a poster have a hissy fit and storming off, demanding to be forgotten, that their name is block-replaced with e.g. **001, **002, for each such departee.

It is on my list of things to re-examine. I have taken a slightly different approach on another social media site I set up recently, but nonetheless the same legal issues are in play.

regards, dspp

Quoting is normally allowed under a reasonable use provision of copyright. I am not sure where this would go in terms of GDPR and right to be forgotten, but I would think that it would not necessarily win on the side of a request for deletion.

csearle wrote:We need to make it clear that all content is given unconditionally to the site once it is posted here. We should do this now. Chris out.

Ownership of user-generated content stays with the user that generated it, irrespective of any Ts&Cs. The most that TLF can put into its Ts&Cs is that the user grants TLF a royalty-free, perpetual, [bung in lots of legalese] worldwide license to the content.

The GDPR right to erasure (aka the right to be forgotten) gives the right for individuals to have personal data erased but on googling for the matter of quoted text I couldn't find any definitive answer, just a bunch of contrary opinions.

I'd suggest the site owners contact the ICO for advice. Given the number of forums, bulletin boards, etc, around, it's got to be a common problem and I can't imagine that they haven't thought of it already....

dspp wrote:

csearle wrote: However it does run contrary to any right to be forgotten

How so?
All posts are done under an alias.
Surely the right to be forgotten can be dealt with by deleting record of the member's details relating to that alias?

TUK020 wrote:

dspp wrote:

csearle wrote: However it does run contrary to any right to be forgotten

How so?
All posts are done under an alias.
Surely the right to be forgotten can be dealt with by deleting record of the member's details relating to that alias?

Not all are under an alias as such (someone has posted on this Topic in his own name and has never been afraid of verifying who he is) and some of the others are known to each other. Hello Chris!

On your main point re aliases, I've raised this on here at least once and would be intrigued as to the answer. This isn't the first time the right to be forgotten and similar has been discussed in the Biscuit Bar. If anyone is interested I'll try and find the discussion, which had some relevant comment. It also included suggestions as to what could be included in the TLF specific site Rules. dspp and others may know of that Topic. The Mods/Admin etc may well have discussed the issue privately.

Edit: This is the Topic I may have been thinking about where the first reply by Gengulphus would still appear to be pertinent and was to be under consideration:

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14976

PinkDalek wrote:

TUK020 wrote:

dspp wrote:

How so?
All posts are done under an alias.
Surely the right to be forgotten can be dealt with by deleting record of the member's details relating to that alias?

Not all are under an alias as such (someone has posted on this Topic in his own name and has never been afraid of verifying who he is) and some of the others are known to each other. Hello Chris!

On your main point re aliases, I've raised this on here at least once and would be intrigued as to the answer. This isn't the first time the right to be forgotten and similar has been discussed in the Biscuit Bar. If anyone is interested I'll try and find the discussion, which had some relevant comment. It also included suggestions as to what could be included in the TLF specific site Rules. dspp and others may know of that Topic. The Mods/Admin etc may well have discussed the issue privately.

Edit: This is the Topic I may have been thinking about where the first reply by Gengulphus would still appear to be pertinent and was to be under consideration:

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14976

PD,

As I said before, what various people including G have been trying to say, is what is termed in legal terms as "granting an irrevocable licence to use (etc*) content". Including such a term may (or may not) contravene any/all/various of the right to be forgotten laws/hopes/wishes/desires. It is indeed under very protracted discussion and opinions vary including amongst all the lawyers who all have many dogs in this fight. It is a bitter intercontinental fight with far bigger players involved than humble TLF, including the EU and the US tech corporations and you can find as many opinions as your wallet will afford. Regularly people will trot out a preferred opinion from their tame lawyer/pundit and declare that the matter is of course closed iaw their preference. Except that it isn't. Frankly I expect this battle to be waged for the next few centuries as it pits rights of states against rights of individuals against rights of corporations. We in TLF have yet to make a move in this respect.

regards, dspp

* typical wordings would be "......host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate and create derivative works of your content. "

Dspp,

Yes, that’s all every interesting, but I think you are talking about different “battles”.

The point I was interested in is more in respect of anonymous usernames/avatars etc. I know some know who I am in real life but, that aside and assuming no-one does, I can’t see why on earth I should have any blanket right for my posts to be deleted (ignoring personal information held by TLF if any). Unless there is a compelling reason on individual posts, which I appreciate mods thankfully accommodate.

Subject to the other stuff re grants of irrevocable licences etc and ignoring also such matters as Norwich Pharmacal applications.

PD

TUK020 wrote:

dspp wrote:

csearle wrote: However it does run contrary to any right to be forgotten

How so?
All posts are done under an alias.
Surely the right to be forgotten can be dealt with by deleting record of the member's details relating to that alias?

TUK020 I never said that. Please take extra care when attributing stuff to me that I never said. I don't take kindly to it.

Chris.

csearle wrote:

TUK020 wrote:

dspp wrote:

How so?
All posts are done under an alias.
Surely the right to be forgotten can be dealt with by deleting record of the member's details relating to that alias?

TUK020 I never said that. Please take extra care when attributing stuff to me that I never said. I don't take kindly to it.

Chris.

Chris,
my apologies, clumsy editing
tuk020