15 FAQ tagged with comments


Can I get an old comment deleted that has sensitive information in it?

Sure. Let us know what comments need attention via the Contact Form. We will work with you to either edit or remove past comments that have information that you consider problematic.
(tags: ) July 17, 2020 - permalink - back to questions

How do I view my own (or someone else's) previous posts, questions, and comments?

They are all viewable from your profile. Go to the My Profile link at the top of the page, or click your username anywhere it appears on the site. Your contributions are broken down by subsite, and by post/question and comment.

For an older alternative view of all your comments/answers, you can go to these URLs, replacing number 1 with your user number:
Mefi comments
AskMe answers

To see someone else's activity, go to their profile page, or substitute their user number in the above URLs.
(tags: ) June 11, 2007 - permalink - back to questions

If a comment has been deleted, can I still find it someplace?

No. Deleted comments are unviewable, though they still exist in the database. cortex explains the nuances of what does or doesn't exist where in the realm of deleted stuff in this comment.
(tags: ) March 6, 2006 - permalink - back to questions

How do I link to a specific comment?

Every comment has a permalink associated with it. If you're on a desktop or laptop, click on the timestamp on a comment, the URL that shows in your browser's address bar is the permanent link to that comment.

On mobile, the timestamp is still the permalink, but the URL may or may not appear, depending on what OS you're using.
(tags: ) May 19, 2006 - permalink - back to questions

How long do threads remain open?

After a certain amount of time, threads are automatically closed to new comments. The length of time varies on different parts of the site.

MetaFilter - one month
Ask MetaFilter - one year
FanFare - never
Projects - never
Music - never
Jobs - there are no comments on Jobs
Podcast - never
IRL - 6 months
MetaTalk - one month

On MetaTalk and IRL only, a thread can be closed by an admin but not deleted - such threads remain visible on the main MetaTalk or IRL page. (See here for more on why this happens.) Note that this fuctionality does not exist on the other subsites, so for example it is not possible for an admin or a user to "close" an AskMe thread without deleting it.
(tags: ) August 2, 2006 - permalink - back to questions

My HTML seemed to work in the live preview but didn't come through correctly. Is this a bug or intentional?

The live preview seen below the comment forms shows a real-time approximation of your comment, but does not go through the extensive text filtering done on the server side. As a result, it's possible to place almost any HTML code into a comment and reproduce it in the live preview area, but that code is stripped out once the comment is posted to the site.

If you are wondering if your HTML code will display properly, please use the Preview button before your post. The Preview button will render things like &lt; into < however, so before you post, you have to re-type things like angle brackets into their &lt; format. We are aware that this is a less-than-perfect solution.
(tags: ) October 17, 2006 - permalink - back to questions

Why was my MetaFilter comment deleted?

MetaFilter is a moderated site. There are some types of comments that are either toxic to discussion or disallowed on the site entirely that may get removed by moderators. Some reasons comments may be removed are described here, and in more detail in the Metafilter Community Guidelines and its supplementary page about Microaggressions and making space for everyone.

- Racist or otherwise hateful comments. This includes misgendering and slurs. It also includes ironic racism/sexism/homophobia/transphobia; people who sarcastically put on a racist voice to make a point about racism, or who make hateful comments ironically (assuming everyone should know they're joking) cause derails and make discussion difficult.
- Spamming. Adding off-topic, context-free, or SEO-laden comments with undisclosed links to your own or others' sites.
- Threats against oneself or others. If you're feeling suicidal or self-harming, please reach out to someone to talk one on one; Mefites have compiled a list of hotlines. Violent fantasies or "someone should assassinate that guy" type comments create problems for the site.
- Making a thread all about another user; attacks on or interrogation of other users, "fuck you"s or namecalling. This includes doxxing or outing of personal information from profile pages or other sites.
- Making a thread all about you. MetaFilter is a large community and discussion threads are for everyone. Please don't make a thread all about your own opinions and ideas at the expense of other people trying to have a discussion.
- Trolling (saying something you don't mean just to rile people up or start a fight) is not okay here. If your behavior is indistinguishable from trolling, your comment may be treated accordingly.
- Dismissive or "Who cares" comments, especially if early in a thread - these add nothing to the discussion. Just skip the thread and find one you're more interested in.
- Comments about moderation. It's fine to ask questions or disagree with moderation, but those discussions happen in MetaTalk (for a public discussion) or sent through the contact form (to discuss privately with the mods), they do not belong in threads on other parts of the site. This includes metadiscussion of flagging, comment deletions, and whether a post should be deleted or not.

Occasionally a comment will be removed which then leaves several comments responding to it just hanging there, responding to nothing. Historically, the responses would usually be removed to avoid confusion for readers and to curtail derails. More recently, due to community feedback the moderators have shifted toward more often leaving such responses in place even if the original comment is deleted, generally with an explanatory note.

Mods use their own discretion and the input of flags or other contacts from members to help guide those decisions. If you have a question about a comment removal, please use the contact form to ask about it. The MetaFilter comment deletion rate is about 1%. Most people never have a comment deleted.
(tags: ) March 5, 2012 - permalink - back to questions

How do I edit or delete my comment? What are the rules about the edit function?

Once you post a comment you'll have five minutes to fix any typos. Click the 'Edit' link in the comment byline to edit your comment. After five minutes, the Edit link no longer appears next to the comment. At that point, you can use the contact form to ask a moderator to make the changes for you.

Please keep in mind that this feature exists to fix typos only. Please do not use the "Edited to add" notation that is used on some other websites. If you need to make changes to the meaning of your comment (including fixing a factually incorrect statement, or just adding another thought), please just post another comment to clarify.

If you want to delete a comment after you make it, do not use the edit feature. Flag it or use the contact form to reach the mods, who can delete it for you.

Moderators can see the previous versions of comments and will be able to check if a user is making content changes or otherwise misusing the edit function.
(tags: ) October 1, 2012 - permalink - back to questions

How do I comment anonymously?

There is no anonymous comment function. If you want to add something to a thread but want it to remain unconnected to your account, you can use the contact form to reach the moderators, and one of them can add it for you. (If instead you want to ask an anonymous question on Ask Metafilter, the procedure is here.)
(tags: ) December 11, 2012 - permalink - back to questions

There is a problem with a comment or post. What should I do?

You can flag problems for moderators to look at, or use the contact form if the problem isn't self-explanatory.
(tags: ) December 19, 2012 - permalink - back to questions

What is the policy on using ChatGPT to write comments or ask questions?

Using ChatGPT or other Generative AI tools to write posts or comments on MeFi without explicitly saying you are doing so is discouraged. Tossing in ChatGPT's, or other Large Language Models (LLMs) output in discussions is not OK.

MetaFilter is, at its core, about knowledge and wisdom shared by its members.
(tags: ) June 20, 2023 - permalink - back to questions

Can I follow all the threads I have commented in, by looking in one place?

Yes. This is what Recent Activity does. See here for details.
(tags: ) December 12, 2012 - permalink - back to questions

Are posts or comments edited by mods?

Post or comments are not edited for content. Sometimes a post or comment will be edited for these reasons

- at the request of the poster, for minor reasons
- fixing a broken link
- fixing a typo or broken HTML
- putting a NSFW or other content warning indicator in
- moving part of a long post to a "more inside" location
- AskMe posts where the only question is in the title
- adding tags
- removing personal information [ex: whois records, email addresses] that is against the guidelines
- removing a gratuitous self-link in an otherwise okay post or comment
(tags: ) May 3, 2006 - permalink - back to questions

Why was my Ask MetaFilter post/comment removed?

Ask MetaFilter has more strict guidelines than MetaFilter. If an Ask MetaFilter thread is removed, there will be a reason for deletion at the old URL for the question. If you posted a question that disappeared, check your MefiMail for an automated New Post message that includes the URL of the question. Go to that URL and you'll be able to see why the question was deleted.

Ask MetaFilter questions should have a purpose or a problem to be solved. Please do not try to jam multiple questions into a single question, a few related questions in one post are fine.

Common reasons for thread removal are chatfilter questions, open-ended hypothetical questions, Op/Ed framing, rants posing as questions, questions asking how to do things that are illegal or borderline illegal, questions about suicide, questions about how to get revenge, questions asking for detailed personal/private information, reader poll/survey-type questions, requests for favors or soliciting interviewees, "why does X suck/not suck?" questions, and nonsense questions. Please do not Ask MetaFilter to do your homework for you. If you are feeling suicidal, please seek in-person help. MetaFilter has compiled a list of resources to assist you.

Ask MetaFilter comments should address the main question being asked. Common reasons for comment removal are wisecracks, derailing/ranting/axegrinding, picking a fight with or heavy chastising of the question asker, debating/chatting/arguing with other commenters, single word posts (yes, no, DTMFA &c.) and other non-answers that should probably be brought to MetaTalk. While it's okay to ask follow-up questions to the original asker, piggybacking questions [asking your own related question within someone else's AskMe] will often be removed.
(tags: ) September 10, 2006 - permalink - back to questions

Someone made a official-seeming comment in small type, with square brackets. What does that mean?

It is probably a comment by a moderator. See here for details.
(tags: ) December 15, 2012 - permalink - back to questions