this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2026
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I know this is a thing on Reddit where idiot kids will circumvent ToS and subreddit rules by deleting their commment because it remains as a notification, while removing any reportable trace, but that’s not how Lenny works. Deleted comments show that a person commented but does not show they comment.

So, why is this so common?

(If this isn’t the place to ask, my apologies. I just don’t know what the right pace to ask it is if this isn’t the one. Also. I’m blocking all the clowns that think it’s funny to comment and delete.)

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

For me it’s because I: replied to the wrong comment, wrote a response that was wrong because I didn’t fully read or understand the subject, or I decided that it wasn’t worth it.

[–] JustPlainDave@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago

Pretty much the same for me.

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 1 points 6 days ago

I do it when I respond to the wrong person. Or rarely when I think better of what I just said. Usually the second one happens before I post though.

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 114 points 1 week ago (3 children)

sometimes I say something dumb then realize it's dumb.

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Doesn't even have to be something dumb. Sometimes I write a comment, post it, and then think "Do I really want to get involved in this?"

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[–] Pratai@piefed.ca 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And that makes sense, however, it seems to happens way to frequently.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 54 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] Today@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Sometimes mine spins and then posts twice. Sometimes i realize that I'm replying to the wrong comment. Sometimes the typos and autocowrongs are so bad that it's unintelligible. Sometimes the written words don't come across the way i intended. 🤷

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[–] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 40 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

I’ve done it because I’ve realized I misread something in the comment I replied to, making myself look stupid 🤷‍♂️

[–] Pratai@piefed.ca 9 points 1 week ago

Okay that a fair reason and makes things make more sense. I appreciate the response!

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I generally strike it all out, add an edit line, explain that I misread something, and apologize.

That’s just who I am though. I’m not saying you should do it, but I’m suggesting an alternate action. I’d rather be honest that I fucked up than hide it because it shows growth, and I also hope that it encourages other to realize it’s ok to make a mistake and reflect.

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[–] ikidd@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Created by deletor

[–] chunes@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

because i realize i don't want my inbox to be full of people mad at me.

Protip for lemmy devs: if there was a 'disable inbox replies' button I wouldn't do this.

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[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Sometimes my first reaction to shit-takes is anger. I usually don't want that to be my comment. I'm trying to stay empathetic and have a constructive discussion, because I do not want Lemmy to become like Reddit and I think empathy and arguing in good faith is what makes the difference.

So I'm usually only letting the anger out when my opposite is arguing in bad faith.

[–] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I typically stick with what I say, for better or for worse. But I have deleted maybe two comments in the past; usually because I recognized how poorly I reacted and felt the person didn’t deserve my stupidity.

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[–] Duchess@piefed.linenoise.vip 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

My top two reasons are realizing I posted somewhere I maybe shouldn’t and realizing I shared personal identifying information. A bit too late for the latter once it’s out there but you can’t win ‘em all 🤷🏼‍♀️

The other day someone posted an interesting boundary map of their farthest travels and I thought it was a fun idea, made my own and uploaded it and realized after posting that a Europe comm might not want Americans posting so I deleted it for example.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Sometimes I accidentally reply to the wrong comment.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

I did it because trump won a second term and made some pretty threatening comments about people doing/saying the things I said. so I got rid of them.

that said, I stopped for two reasons;

  1. it's a pita and my comments are federated to other instances anyway
  2. fuck him
[–] DigDoug@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Sometimes it's because I've said something stupid or that, in hindsight, comes off as stupid.

Usually it's because my comment has sparked an argument that I lose interest in continuing.

[–] abbadon420@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh no, once there's an argument, you can't delete the comment anymore. You've created something and it has taken root, you must own it. You don't abort a child after it has been born, went to school, got a degree, married and had kids of its own, do you?

[–] kurwa@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Not with that attitude

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[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago

I usually only delete if I replied to the wrong comment or accidentally replied to the main post instead of a comment. There are some good reasons.

Also if I comment and then read down and I see I duplicated someone.

[–] nullify3112@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

My dudes we can do the funniest thing ever

[–] freudian_slop@programming.dev 6 points 1 week ago

I expected deleted comment chains

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[–] muhyb@programming.dev 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't usually delete my comments but mistakes happen. Even if I notice and delete them immediately, the trace of my comment lives there, because Fediverse. Basically you cannot put back in Genie once it's out of bottle.

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[–] thumbtaxx@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

Usually because I'm feeling strongly enough about something to comment, then I'm reminded that engaging the random public is akin to pissing into a fan, and that's not very pleasant

[–] leftzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 week ago

Only times I've done it it was because I accidentally replied to the wrong comment.

[–] TwoTiredMice@feddit.dk 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It happens more here, for some reason, that I comment on the post instead of under another comment, so I delete the one and writes a new.

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[–] mesamunefire@piefed.social 8 points 1 week ago (5 children)

On piefed you can give a reason something is deleted. Nifty feature.

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[–] alternategait@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I habitually delete about a month back to try and reduce the number of things that taken together could ID me. I’m not a particularly unique person but I’m sure with enough comments someone could get close.

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[–] EndOfLine@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It is not common for me to see deleted comments. Do you tend to see this in certain communities?

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[–] Felis_Catus_Domesticus@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

because it remains as a notification, while removing any reportable trace

This.

It's a chickenshit hit & run tactic for hate speech.

Used mainly by those who decry hate speech online.

Go Figger. .

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[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

I’ve only deleted when I realized I broke a community’s rules.

[–] 0ndead@infosec.pub 6 points 1 week ago
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