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The Request

I would like to be able to see my comments that have been deleted. I am more interested in the comments delete by other users (I know some users have that power), but if it is easier for it to show comments I have deleted then so be it.

The place I would like to view these comments is on my profile page, under Activity > Comments. I do not need to see them in their original location as comments to posts.

The deleted comments could be highlighted in red (like deleted posts) and do not need to include any information about why they were deleted. It would be nice to have a little flag for "deleted by self" or not, but it is not a requirement. The important thing for me though is to provide a link from the deleted comment back to the original question post.

The Reason

Yesterday I left a comment which is fairness was of no help to the OP's question, so I can understand if this has been removed by an admin - I have no problem with that. However, that comment was my only reference point to that post, and Today I am interested in seeing if somebody was able to provide an answer. The problem of course being that I have no way to find that post any more.

I know I could go through my browser history, but what if I had to delete that? I am a very suspicious character.

Improve this question
7
  • "I know some users have that power" .. well, not individual users. Enough flags of certain types will result in comment removal. But that requires multiple users.
    – Bart
    Sep 25, 2013 at 11:44
  • 1
    @Bart: the moderators are users too.
    – Wooble
    Sep 25, 2013 at 11:45
  • @Bart: So it is a purely automated decision? No admin power?
    – musefan
    Sep 25, 2013 at 11:45
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    Jury is still out on that one @Wooble.
    – Bart
    Sep 25, 2013 at 11:46
  • For such cases as spam or offensiveness, yep, @musefan.
    – Bart
    Sep 25, 2013 at 11:46
  • Granted, some comment types (such as those about accept rate) were gone with a single flag. But that's not the general case.
    – Bart
    Sep 25, 2013 at 11:52
  • I am a very suspicious character. Looking through your browser history, I fully agree!
    – user1228
    Sep 25, 2013 at 14:05

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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No.

Comments are secondary content - always. You should not rely on comments existing on any post - ever.

The general view is that if comments have important information, that information should be rolled into the post. Hence - comments can be removed at any time.

Adding a facility to find deleted comments goes against their ephemeral existence and will award them more importance than they are due.

If you have a question you wish to refer back to - make it a favorite.

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5
  • Then why even have the comments section (in user profile) at all? Why bother having any badges associated with commenting? (if they aren't that important) If I don't know my comments have been deleted, how can I even be sure I put them in the first place? Maybe I go back to a question and think "hmm, I thought I added a comment about so and so. Must be a bug, I'll just add it again"
    – musefan
    Sep 25, 2013 at 11:59
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    @musefan - Because not all posts are perfect. We need a way to ask for clarification or otherwise comment on a post. They have a use - but they are secondary.
    – Oded
    Sep 25, 2013 at 12:01
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    I am not questioning the ability to comment, I am question why the comments section (in user profile > Activity > Comments) exists. Why do we need to see all our comments, but showing delete ones would be too unhelpful?
    – musefan
    Sep 25, 2013 at 12:07
  • 2
    Related feature request at MSO: Allow users to view flagged comments (over 300 upvotes)
    – gnat
    Jun 27, 2019 at 8:22
  • @gnat: I am clearly a visionary that belongs in the future! :D
    – musefan
    Jun 27, 2019 at 9:45

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