[sjb]

Is it me, of have some of these suddenly gone AWOL?

None of the questions as far as I recall seemed that bad, a lack of thought and application by the OP perhaps, and maybe a reluctance to apply knowledge rather than be spoon-fed answers, but things like http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=23775.0 or http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=23782.0 seem just as vague...

Have we had complaints?

A note to those involved would not have gone amiss (well, I didn't receive one anyway, not saying others didn't)

Thanks

S

[Arkcon]

Umm...what's the question again?  What do you mean AWOL, that the O.P. listed above hasn't been back with more, because they have.  Or do you men no one's helped in the cases above, because there are a few responses.  I'm not a chemical engineer or very proficient in organic synthesis, so I can't answer some of the more obscure questions, so some way out there questions may get ignored across the board, but only because we don't have someone skilled+patient enough, is that the problem?  What, sjb:, do you really mean?  Portugal, is that the user's name, or the domain?

*[EDIT]* Wait, do you mean the the posts by user Portugal: have disappeared?  Did they change their username?  That did happen once before.

*[EDIT again]* You mean no one answer's Portugal:'s questions?  There seem to be a few responses to each.  Is that it?

[sjb]

Possibly a variation on the 2nd option.

I (and others) spent a few minutes earlier today (~ 6-7 hours ago) talking through a few questions about Grignard reactions (yes, there's still one live), but there were a couple of other questions as well in new threads that no longer appear on the board.

I don't think it's a name change, as I don't see the threads in "my recent posts"...

[Arkcon]

Bizarre.  Are the posts in question also missing when you check their user profile?

[azmanam]

The same thing happened to me a week or so ago from a different user.  original question and all my subsequent replies were no longer in my user profile or the users.  Just gone.

Perhaps the user realized the flaw in logic and no longer wanted their flaw visible to all?

[Arkcon]

I don't know of a mechanism for the user to erase their own posts.  Twice I've regretted what I've wrote, but then I just erased the text, and replaced it with "...blanked by poster" so no one blames the mods for censoring my post.

[Borek]

No idea what have happened. I think I have seen posts about Grignard, alhough I have not read them.

I don't think user can delete part of the thread containing messages of other users - but I can't check it, as being Admin means I am allowed to do anything I want

Could be someone else (Mitch? AWK?) deleted them for some reason, although I doubt - there was no reason to do so AFAICT.

[azmanam]

Just tested...

At the bottom of a test post I wrote - next to "Link to Calendar" there is a "remove topic" option.  A click gives a warning window, and an "OK" click deletes the topic w/o a trace.

But only for posts I've initiated.

[Arkcon]

Oh, so we're allowed to nuke your own threads, are we?  that might have been what's been happening.  I've mentioned it before, some of the noobs might not realize the strength of this board is it's searchability -- others can come and learn from their discussion.  'Course, there's a recent thread where I've been talking about how that exactly what a student wouldn't want.

[sjb]

OK, no problem.

Apologies for anyone I may have offended by suggesting they deleted the thread.

Don't know if it's possible to hack (or modify) SMF to let people know a thread they have contributed to has been deleted, or even make an entry undeletable (perhaps a bit drastic, but may help if people are trying to search for previous answers, though in the Web2.01b world that might be hoping too much   ).

Thanks again for the clear-up.

S

PS edit as hitting post: Thanks Arkcon - I saw the note too, was wondering how it would pan out...