DieselDragon
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Registered: 02-2008
Location: Farnborough, UK
Posts: 6
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 [Post control] Action confirmation, post deletion, and other suggestions.
Hail again all! 
I've just been using the forum that I normally use, where I am a board moderator...And ran into a rather serious problem:
Now earlier this evening, I was replying to a post made by the forums owner when - By accident - I clicked the "Delete" link in the post, insted of the "Quote" link that I'd actually meant to use. Now I realised my mistake as soon as I made it and hit my browser's [Stop] button immediateley before the new page had loaded (Although I appreciate that my accidental HTTP request would've been received and processed by the server) and refreshed the topic, but the post in question had still been lost.   
Now, this raises a few issues that need to be addressed ASAP in my opinion:
1. I wasn't asked for any kind of confirmation whatsoever before the post in question was deleted - Just the one accidental HTTP request was all it took. 
When someone is deleting or making any other significant changes to a post, a confirmation dialogue needs to be displayed and confirmed by the user before any changes are actually made.
Furthermore, such a system needs to be located serverside and not clientside. I use the NoScript add-on in FireFox which disables all java-script, object and ActiveX controls unless I specifically allow code to run from that particular site...And therefore, if the confirmation dialogue (Assuming one exists) normally traps a call to that URL and shows a confirmation first, it won't work in my browser. Don't rely on the client having full (If any!) java-script support! 
2. How did I - A general Moderator on the board in question - Have the ability to delete a post (Accidentally or otherwise) made by the board Owner in the first place? Surely that's a real faux-pas in the security and preventing-taking-over-someone-else's-board stakes, isn't it?
3. Any chance of deleted posts - Insted of being deleted from the board database immediateley - Being added to a "Recycle Bin" of some description? Such a system only needs to hold deleted posts for about 24 hours or so, but it'd be a very handy utility for recovering posts deleted by accident or in the heat of the moment.
Either way, the latter two points are merely suggestions...But please could ye make sure that the suggestion in point one is noted, considered, and implemented ASAP? Cheers! 
Farewell for now...
+++ DieselDragon +++
--- 
Our ways have parted...For a time. But my heart will always be His - And His alone - To have and to hold... <3 <3 <3 |
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8/27/2008, 8:49 pm
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Lesigner Girl
Global Administrator
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Registered: 11-2005
Location: SW MI, USA
Posts: 6032
Karma: 187 (+212/-25)
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Re: [Post control] Action confirmation, post deletion, and other suggestions.
Hi DieselDragon
1) A confirmation when deleting a post has been suggested in the past. I don't think it's really necessary for editing, since you also have to click on the "Submit edited post" button in order to make any changes that way, but I agree that it should be added to prevent accidental deletions.
Like you, I also prefer server-side scripting over java-script whenever possible. Sometimes it is the only way to offer a feature, such as how it is used here to insert smileys and BBCode into posts. However, security should never be handled client side, and any links that use java-script also need to have regular links (I stay away from js links completely), because like you said, not everyone keeps java-script enabled on their browser. Some people might argue that it's not a matter of security since only mods and admins can delete posts and it doesn't prevent malicious actions, but I do think it qualifies as security for the "oops" factor. However, it wouldn't be up to me, and I can only hope that Thor agrees with me.
2) The board admin has the choice to prevent mods from deleting admin posts, so you should take that one up with him. It's in the board's miscellaneous options.
3) I like that suggestion. Again, it's not up to me, but I agree it would be nice to have.
For now, in case of future accidental deletions, you can hit the back button on your browser, copy the post, then quote it in a new post. It would be posted under your name, of course, and probably out of order, but it's the only way we have right now to "retrieve" an accidentally deleted post.
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8/28/2008, 12:03 am
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