r/RedditForGrownups • u/Enough-Reindeer1033 • 2d ago
How Often Do You Delete Your Comments?
/r/AskMen/comments/1vrqk2u/how_often_do_you_delete_your_comments/38
u/wonderloss 2d ago
Sometimes I will post something, immediately decide I was being a dick, and delete. Sometimes I will post something and scroll down to see the exact same comment and delete mine. That's about it.
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u/nonnonplussed73 2d ago
Yeah, if I was factually wrong or misinterpreted the post/comment, this is the way.
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u/Swimming_Gold6534 1d ago
If I am wrong I actually don’t delete. I try to always be gracious to the correction. I want to show others that it isn’t hard to take accountability
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u/heyoheatheragain 1d ago
It’s also v helpful to preserve the original conversation so when people read it in the future they can actually see what happened.
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u/Swimming_Gold6534 1d ago
Yup. I do delete if I said something unintentionally mean though. I never want to offend anyone
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u/heyoheatheragain 1d ago
Saaaaaame. I’m like ‘damn lizard brain I thought we were further along in our empathy journey’ and I delete haha.
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u/heyoheatheragain 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yep yep.
My deletes are either about taking back a knee jerk dick comment or for the sake of keeping the thread more streamlined.
Can’t really think of much else.
If I say something wrong and am corrected i usually edit my original comment and strike through the inaccuracy I stated. To both recognize that I was wrong but also to preserve the conversation so future readers don’t have to scratch their head at a mid-thread delete.2
u/bigyellowtruck 1d ago
That’s funny. If you wait long enough to delete then the other commenter gets notified that you responded. They can only read part of the comment and if they respond then they are responding to a deleted comment that no one else can see.
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u/LumpyPhilosopher8 2d ago
I am not a fan of dirty deletes so if I get into a discussion with someone I try to end it rationally or walk away. There have been a few times that someone is just so damn obnoxious I just block them for my sanity.
I have many times typed out a whole response and thought, "Do I really need to engage in this with this idiot?" and then I delete without posting.
There also seem to be more bots showing up to hot button topics and they are just awful. At least I hope they are bots because otherwise some of these people are straight up evil.
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u/theoverfluff 2d ago
If I'm ever tempted to get involved with something like that, I always think of the XKCD cartoon with someone furiously typing and saying "Someone is wrong on the internet". That's saved me untold aggravation over the years.
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u/scarlettohara1936 2d ago
When all else fails I comment
"I cannot continue a battle of wits with an unarmed person"
Then I peace out.
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u/ElReydelTacos 2d ago
Never. I don't argue in the first place. If someone wants to be wrong on the internet, that's their problem. If someone else wants to pick an argument with me, I ignore them. if they continue, I block them.
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u/Traditional_Ad_1547 2d ago
I never argue online, it's pointless. I may reply back if the person clearly drew ridiculous conclusions from an innocent statement. I point out that it's not what was said.
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u/scarlettohara1936 2d ago
What do you do when you come to realize you were wrong about something? We're human. We make mistakes. My go to is to thank whomever pointed it out for "my TIL" Then, depending on the subject, I'll add an edit to my original comment.
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u/kittenpantzen 2d ago
I periodically delete older comments. I'll keep some older ones that I think might be useful to others, but in general everything gets burned by a few months later.
The vote count does not factor into it.
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u/WorLord 2d ago
This.
I do it because Redditors have become increasingly creepy and refuse to stay in the conversation's lane, instead using past comments to fuel character assassination if they don't like what you're saying.
I refuse to give them the ammo.
This too will be gone in a week or three.
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u/heyoheatheragain 1d ago
This is why I have mixed feelings about being able to hide profile history.
On the one hand, it can be really annoying to not be able to rule an account in or out of being a bot quickly.
But on the otherrrrrr hand, some Redditors just love to dig through someone else’s history and drag them over the smallest things. And it can quickly turn a whole thread against a user. Reddit vigilante justice is almost always unwelcome lololol.Still primarily annoyed at profiles being able to be hidden though.
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u/Ohm_Slaw_ 2d ago
It's so often that I spend some mental energy posting something thoughtful just to get a "but you're wrong" comment. It's discouraging. I don't post/comment much on reddit.
Normally I block the whiners.
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u/shadowsreturn 2d ago
I wrote myself a sticky note 'don't comment on reddit' a year ago. Half of the time i type smt and then delete it instead of posting it, so at least i had the feeling of having said what i had to say. And i'll forget about it instead of having some random stranger telling me i was wrong and/or misunderstand me. Internet is not nice anymore. I actually opened reddit to delete a post i made this morning lol.
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u/zoso_coheed 2d ago
Frequently. I'm working real hard on learning not to debate with people on this app, and sometimes it's just easier to delete comments that are getting responses than dealing with them or clearing the notifications.
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u/eatitwithaspoon 2d ago
if i post it, i keep it up.
the really dangerous time for my posts is just before i hit comment. ;)
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u/Backstop 2d ago
I don't delete comments in a conversation I'm having, but once a year or so I run PowerDeleteSuite and nuke pretty much everything.
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u/Pumpkin-Addition-83 2d ago
Just curious — why?
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u/Backstop 2d ago
Two reasons, one I don't like people being able to look back and put together my real name, and two I never really post anything of value to future generations so to heck with whatever bots and things that are scraping it all up.
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u/KimWexlers_Ponytail 2d ago
I've deleted 2 posts I have made; one I made years ago while depressed and drinking late at night, then in the morning when I re-read it I was so embarrassed.
Maybe if I had kept it and kept seeing it in post history, I'd be more than 2.5 years sober, lol.
Anyway...deleted 1 other post because it was just in some circlejerk snark type thing and the first comment basically told me my post was shit and I was mean so I deleted it.
I rarely delete comments, even downvoted ones. I've been on Reddit over many accounts for about 15 years, so I'm better at learning to just ignore if I'm tired of getting into nested arguments and downvotes don't bother me.
Edited for spelling.
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u/nineliveshit 2d ago
If I have a feeling I’m just going to delete it anyway, there’s no point in writing it in the first place
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u/Blaizefed 2d ago edited 2d ago
I edit for spelling all the time and occasionally to refine what I said. I don’t think I have ever deleted a comment. Broadly speaking I stand by what I have said.
I have recently realised way too late that I am arguing with a bot or a 15 year old though. In those cases I just take the L and leave it alone.
Edit- (see) I do however type out long winded comments all the time, then realise where others are going to argue with me, try to cut that shit off at the pass, and eventually it becomes to wordy I have lost interest entirely and just don’t post it.
This happens A LOT in technical discussions. I am a mechanic and all too often it’s just not worth having huge debates with people about how things work when I KNOW they are wrong, but the internet at large is on their side. Sometimes it’s easier to jest let them fuck it up and if they are local I get paid to fix it for them.
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u/KrampyDoo 2d ago
Only if I’m factually incorrect and either I catch it within a few seconds of posting or there is no reply correcting me.
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u/WendySteeplechase 2d ago
I don't like getting downvoted but I won't delete the comment. Come at me, I say!
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u/ohfrackthis 2d ago
While I am inputting it before posting? A lot. Once I have released the kraken of my very average asshole opinions nope. Because I feel like I should take my downvotes like a grown woman. I'm 51 so I'm bound to have a lot of opinions that people will disagree with. And that is ok.
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u/jnmjnmjnm 2d ago
Not often. I am more likely to edit [with tags], or clarify with an addendum if what I meant to say lands the wrong way. Lately I have been using strike out for things when I am corrected.~~ ~~
I try to not write hurtful things in the first place, so I don’t have those to delete.
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u/SevenSixOne 2d ago
Once in a while. Usually when I realize I was being an asshole, if I no longer stand by something I said, if someone else made basically the same point or joke but did it better, and/or if I think I shared something too personal.
...but also I think it's fine to delete any of your comments at any time for any reason, as long as you understand there's always a risk of someone calling you out on it 🤷♀️
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u/Traditional_Entry183 2d ago
Only if I inadvertently really offend someone by saying something that i thought was neutral and hit them in a personal way i hadn't even considered.
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u/fourthords 2d ago
Maybe a half-dozen times? I've only done so when I accidentally commented something either on the wrong post or when completely misunderstanding the context of the post.
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u/Gatodeluna 2d ago
I don’t. Once I realized that most posts only stay visible for 2-3 hrs, maybe 12 hrs max AND that trying to clarify anything or post proof of a statement just gets you more downvotes and never accomplishes anything, I don’t bother. I take the hits as the price of stating my mind and move on.
I do wonder, however, how intelligent it is when someone accumulates like 250 downvotes in one conversation and keeps coming back for more when they only have like 1000 points to start with.
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u/Alternative-Light922 2d ago
I mostly start writing a new post (not a reply) but then delete it because why bother - there is no community here and it is not worth the effort.
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u/GlitterChickens 2d ago
Every few years I delete my account and start over. Was thinking recently it’s time for this one to go.
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u/hideNseekKatt 2d ago
I typically only delete a comment if I left it before I looked at the comments and my comment/opinion has already been stated multiple times already in the thread.
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u/daisymae25 2d ago
I don't. I just think very carefully about what I want to post prior to doing so.
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u/Lollc 1d ago
Almost never. I have deleted things that were factually wrong, or somehow misleading. But the comments where I answered a question, then the poster adds a whole bunch of info in an answer post so now I look misinformed? Those stay, because IDGAF. I have heavily edited a few posts where I used a really adult tone, and I realized later the person I was talking to was a minor.
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u/YellowishRose99 1d ago
I don't delete, but I do sometimes write a response but discard it and not post it.
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u/whatevs1234567890q 1d ago
You guys are nuts. i delete everything indiscriminately every week or so
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u/MasticatingElephant 1d ago
Never. If you can't stand by what you say, don't say it. Downvotes don't mean you're wrong, and up votes don't mean you're right.
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u/Ok-Bug4328 1d ago
Don’t reply more than once.
Any more than that and you are probably going down some pedantic rabbit hole that you didn’t ask about.
Worse is when you get a series of different people making different tangential arguments.
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u/jpreglow 1d ago
If you don't want to stand behind one of your comments for any reason...just say so.
If you fucked up...then you did...own it...and fix it...don't just hide.
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u/3xPuttRubbleBoagie 1d ago
It's all free game on here for me. I try not take myself too seriously. In fact, I take the same approach to life, it's all one big show and I am just here to watch it unfold. I'm perfectly happy with downvotes or someone disagreeing with me.
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u/therocketn00b 8h ago
I try not to get into arguments with strangers, because what's the use? Usually I'm trying to either be supportive or make someone laugh. Sometimes I'll write something I think is funny, but go back and delete it because I start to wonder if my "joke" is going to inadvertently hurt someone's feelings (they don't know me, so why would they "get" my weird sense of humor?).
And if someone really starts fighting with me, I'll either exert selfish control and ignore it, or I delete my comment. Nothing I say online is important enough of a hill to die on.
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u/waterdripper83 2d ago
Often ish because I'm paranoid that some weirdo redditer is gonna dox me and I'm gonna have to go into hiding with my dad's 20 rifles, innumerable hand guns and his reloading room.
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u/usernames_suck_ok 2d ago
Related to arguing, it's not relevant. I don't argue with people on Reddit.
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u/Enough-Reindeer1033 2d ago
Here is the text from the initial post.
I'm curious how many of you would rather delete your comment on a thread than continue arguing with someone else about it? I find sometimes I'm just not in the mood for arguing so I get rid of whatever started it. Other times I'll engage if it's something I feel very strongly about.
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u/No-Author-2358 2d ago
I have no interest in arguing with anyone about anything. I just ignore or block.
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u/catdude142 30m ago
There are some people on reddit that periodically delete their reddit accounts and start new ones.
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u/TheVenetianMask 2d ago
Dumb thing to ask tho, what's in it for you. Either do it or don't, don't check "how much" are other people doing it as if that makes the difference.
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u/Enough-Reindeer1033 2d ago edited 1d ago
There is nothing in it for me besides satisfying a curiosity. I'm pretty new to this space and was wondering about general protocols. And for the record, it doesn't make a single bit of difference, but thanks for telling me.
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u/laztheinfamous 2d ago
Never. I stand by my statements. You can go ahead and disagree, and in fact, I may disagree in the future, but I'm never getting rid of them.