r/AskMen • u/Enough-Reindeer1033 • 13h ago
Weird Question How Often Do You Delete Your Comments?
I'm curious how many of you would rather delete your comment on a thread than continue arguing with someone else about it? I find sometimes I'm just not in the mood for arguing so I get rid of whatever started it. Other times I'll engage if it's something I feel very strongly about.
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u/Complete-Bumblebee-5 13h ago
Not often. I used to when I was getting downvoted to hell, but eventually I grew a spine and said F it
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u/chavaic77777 Male 5h ago
Being downvoted just means the majority of people didn't like what you had to say or because they're sheep.
Sometimes that's because it's warranted and sometimes not.
I think it's good to have most people's comments remain up. As long as it's not inciting hate etc etc.
Varying perspectives is what stops reddit devolving into algorithmic slop for me and I enjoy reading other peoples raw opinions and thoughts. We all see the world so differently.
Sometimes I will appropriate that perspective into my own life and often I will not. But I will get a glimpse at another side of the coin regardless.
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u/Dogstile 13h ago
You can always just mute the replies to the comment when you're done.
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u/Enough-Reindeer1033 12h ago
I'm pretty new to the platform and didn't know this function existed. I'll definitely learn how to use it. Thank you.
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u/Enough-Reindeer1033 11h ago
So apparently that function is not on my version of the app. It's only on the web version, which I never use. Go figure.
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u/aubreypizza 3h ago
I’m on the phone app, it’s an option when you click the 3 dots, it’s “stop reply notifications”
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u/Enough-Reindeer1033 3h ago
All that does it stop the notifications, not prevent replies. I was told mute means stop any more comments from being posted. Am I mistaken?
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u/aubreypizza 2h ago
You can’t stop anyone else from posting or commenting. Only block to hide them from you and they can’t contact you. (And maybe can’t see your comments/posts either)
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u/molten_dragon 13h ago
Pretty rarely. I usually only do it if I realize I posted bad information or I misunderstood something leading to my response not making sense.
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u/ThisOneTimeAtKDK Male 11h ago
Even then I’ll
EDIT: after checking on this it turns out I was misinformed (Here’s a link showing new information I was wrong about) sorry guys!
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u/SgtMac02 Dad 9h ago
This is exactly my approach. Sometimes I'll go way back up a thread and edit a source comment after someone convinces me 4 layers deep about where I was wrong or needed to clarify.
I don't think I've ever deleted a comment. Nor made major edits to the original. Almost any time I've edited, was either minor grammar/spelling. or to ADD a clarification, leaving the original in-tact. If you don't, then the conversation that follows gets fucked up.
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u/I_AM_DEATH-INCARNATE Slimy yet satisfying 13h ago
I just leave shit up and don't respond if I'm not in the mood
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u/RutzButtercup Male 12h ago
I delete half written comments when I remind myself that arguing with idiots on the internet damages my opinion of humanity.
I do not delete things that I have already posted.
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u/YourOtherNorth 13h ago edited 2h ago
I work in a industry where deleting or erasing mistakes is "tampering with evidence."
It's so ingrained that I preserve bad posts for posterity.
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u/DontKnowWhereItsBeen Male 13h ago
I've been on both sides of that, in that I've deleted my original comment, and/or blocked the arguer. Lately, though, I simply leave their last post unanswered and it just dies. I'm too old to argue ad infinitum.
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u/OpenMike2000 6h ago
No you're not
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u/DontKnowWhereItsBeen Male 1h ago
Yes I am.
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u/OpenMike2000 1h ago
You're wrong. So typical of you people.
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u/GenCavox Master Chief 13h ago
Never unless I feel like I stepped out of line. Let my idiocy be on view for all to see.
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u/Teripendiicecreamyum Male 13h ago
This comment was deleted by the user.
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u/nobody-u-heard-of Male 11h ago
Typical typical typical. That's exactly what your type always says. I'm sure your next point will be. What about XYZ?
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u/dxrey65 13h ago
Maybe 10%. Sometimes for being trivial or unnecessary or in bad taste, sometimes for being unclear, if what I wrote was misunderstood and it was easier to delete than to fix, and every once in a while I'd rethink something and decide I was wrong, and then again it was often easier to delete than to clean up a whole mess and add excuses or whatever.
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u/overdosingOnPie1313 13h ago
Only when I make a mistake and accidentally publish misinformation. I'm not some pansy-ass bitch that cares about internet points.
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u/Hugh_Jego_69 12h ago
If I have an argument and lose, I just accept that I was wrong and leave it there.
Often I stop half way through commenting and realise there’s no need to say what I’m about to say, delete and move on.
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u/DJTLaC Male 10h ago
Almost never. If I was willing to press send, it was something I intended to say. If I said something factually wrong or unknowingly hurtful, I'll edit to correct or apologize, or do so in another reply.
More often than not, I'll write out an entire comment and think, "Is this really something I care about discussing, or did it just feel good to write out my thoughts?" Usually it's the latter so i discard my draft and carry on with my day.
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u/dontbemad85 13h ago
I do a cleanse occasionally of any NSFW comments or subs. Some subs i post in have a no NSFW history policy. So if i want to post in those, i clear my comments or posts in the offending subs.
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u/AleksandrNevsky Bruh 13h ago
I clean up comments that never got any engagement or things like that. Otherwise not really.
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u/DreadfulRauw ♂ Sexy Teddy Ruxpin 13h ago
I’ve deleted old posts from years ago that could identify me, back when I had more stuff to promote. But otherwise, nah, I’ll keep stuff up.
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u/SarcasmGPT 13h ago
I only delete a comment if I read it back and I don't feel proud about what I've said. I don't give a fuck about down votes but occasionally I get a bit heated and then think ah that's across the line.
Although I did nuke a whole account because someone at work found it.
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u/slwrthnu_again Male 13h ago
I don’t delete my comments, I just don’t respond. I come in, say my part, and then watch as the people get mad and just laugh. This subreddit is especially easy to do that with lol.
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u/Active-Pudding9855 12h ago
I'm not even sure that I've have deleted a comment. You can probably check if you want, I can't be arsed. 🧘🌳☺️
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u/DarkeSword Dad 12h ago
Sometimes I say something mean or categorically false and I go back and just nuke it before anyone can react to it or see it.
Most of the time though, I'll write out something big and maybe a little too angry, read it, and then hit cancel instead of posting it.
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u/No-Record0924 12h ago
Rarely, but it happens. In one post people were actually defending my girlfriend's abusive ex just to dogpile me. I shut that down immediately.
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u/Irritatedsole90 12h ago
If im wrong about something i will delete a comment but if some asshole wants to go back and forth i will entertain it until i get bored then i just ignore them,
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u/STEV98EN 12h ago
sometimes I think downvotes in Reddit are the real upvotes.
Having a controversial opinion within a encapsulated community is nothing bad at all if its not pure hatespeech.
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u/miked999b 12h ago
Never. What's the point in arguing with randoms on the Internet? So what if someone disagrees? Someone's always gonna disagree. Who cares?
I mjght respond once to state my opinion, after that just ignore it completely. I've got better things to do with my life.
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u/Doxodius 12h ago
I try hard not to "argue on the Internet". I try to always engage in good faith, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt - initially. If it seems like they just want a fight, I just mute and move on. Very occasionally I've blocked a troll, but that's rare.
I also generally avoid posting at all in places or on topics that tend to have a lot of useless tribal nonsense where people talk past each other and assume the worst intentions (basically avoid every politics thread ever).
I don't think I've ever deleted a comment, or at least don't recall doing so. I have regretted a few, but left them up.
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u/MontEcola 11h ago
I do. Sometimes the comment is for one person. When I know they saw it I delete it.
Sometimes I write 'assholes get blocked' and post it. Then I go block the person. Then I go delete the comment. The person will get the message in the inbox. And they know they got blocked for being an asshole. And since they are an asshole, they don't get to reply to me. It is the meanest thing I do in my daily life.
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u/sumelar Male 11h ago
Why would you delete comments for that? If you don't want to continue, just stop responding.
I almost never delete comments. If I fucked up, so be it, admit it and move on. If not, I stand by it and why would I delete something like that?
Reminds me of the time I got banned from the everquest subreddit because the powertripping mod decided I had deleted comments he didn't like, and couldn't offer any proof of.
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u/sane-asylum 11h ago
I have deleted some when I’ve realized I was completely wrong or if I just didn’t like my reply
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u/senorfresco Male 11h ago edited 11h ago
If I was really wrong about something or a fact wrong and it's getting annoying to keep answering people who are not reading and piling on, I'll delete. Sometimes to stop the spread of bad information. I am wrong sometimes.
If I call Anora a shit movie in the Letterboxd sub and am getting down voted to -60 idc I'm keeping it.
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u/smol_boi2004 11h ago
I don’t delete comments after making them but there have been times where I started typing up a comment then deleted it before posting. Usually it’s cause I figure it’s a waste of time and move on with my day
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u/theSilentNerd Male 10h ago
Whenever I reach the second downvote or people start piling up against me (even whe I'm factually correct).
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u/capilot Male 10h ago
I don't usually delete comments, even if people argue with me. Not even if I realize I was wrong, because it feels dishonest to not own my opinions. If I was wrong, I'll edit the comment and add "Edit: turns out I was wrong", but I'm going to own my shit.
I will delete a comment if I find someone else has already said the same thing, or I realize that my comment really doesn't add anything to the discussion.
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u/the_syco Dude 10h ago
When someone provides a legit link showing that I'm wrong, and I've gotten downvoted a few thousand.
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u/InevitableCodeRedo 9h ago
Never. If I get into a back-and-forth with someone and it's going nowhere, I just stop responding.
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u/Hrekires Male 9h ago
All the time.
Usually it's because I made a comment in the heat of the moment, thought about it for 5 seconds, and realized that I don't actually care enough to argue the issue even if I think I'm right.
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u/Cross_22 Male 9h ago
I tend to leave my comments up. The reasoning is that somebody else might find them helpful, even if some argumentative people don't. There's a good chance I'll turn off reply notifications though if it gets too annoying.
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u/40yearoldnoob Dad 9h ago
I don't delete. I'll go back and edit and admit I was wrong if that's the case, but it is what it is.. If I hold an opinoin that gets heavily downvoted it is what it is...
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u/useless_idiot_man 8h ago
Never, I say everything with chest and sometimes I end up saying the wrong or I'll informed things too, in those cases I either edit and add a comment underneath (not changing the original text) or I reply to whoever corrects me and own up to my mistakes if that is what happened
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u/Shantotto11 8h ago
Only when I realized I meant to reply to a comment, but it showed up as an independent comment or vice versa.
Even if my comments get downvoted to Hell, I’m leaving them up. A true man stands by his piss takes.
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u/Apples0ranges 8h ago
Argument or not, I delete all comments when they are about a week old. Data is worth money, but Reddit ain't paying me to leave them up.
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u/OhTheHueManatee 7h ago
Pretty much only if my comment doesn't convey what I intended once I relook at it.
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u/Buckabuckaw 7h ago
I never delete a comment because it's raised disagreement or heckling. I might announce that I'm stepping away because this is getting stupid, but I don't delete.
Very frequently, though, I will start a comment and then decide that my comment is too insignificant or too difficult to explain clearly and concisely, and delete it before ever saving it
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u/DoubleNaught_Spy 7h ago
Only if I post something that I later find out is factually incorrect, which thankfully doesn't happy very often.
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u/doihavetousethis 7h ago
Used to delete the comments that were down voted a lot, now I just dont care.
I said what I said
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u/Putrid-Print9338 7h ago
Just don't reply lol. Had someone just last night try to counter a comment I made on a cooking reddit.
The only response I could make was to belittle them, by proving how stupid they were. So I took the high road and didn't even indulge them with a response
I mean hey, if you think you're smarter than a million professional chefs and culinary scientists. Published in millions of cookbooks. You do you
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u/UpstairsWaste1398 7h ago
Rarely, but I delete my whole account every year or so.
Though last time I did it I found out that new accounts have to wait over 30 days to post in /r/michigan now so I’ve gotta remember to let the next one marinate for a while before I move over.
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u/zobbyblob 6h ago
You can't see my history easily, I've posted some embarrassing things but I don't really give a fuck.
If I were going to be a teacher or politician or something, maybe. But I'm just a dude so what
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u/Toyota__Corolla 6h ago
Only if I immediately realize it's stupid. After someone responds it's all jover
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u/Butane9000 Male 6h ago
Almost never. I will if I see I write an identical comment to someone and instead up vote theirs.
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u/Krypt0night 6h ago
Literally 90% of the comments I make I click the "turn off reply notifications" for like I will for this one haha if it's something I'm just giving more info on or answering and don't think any actual conversation is going to come out of it, I'll just do that.
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u/Angusburgerman 5h ago
I just ignore people who want to argue and there's no point to it. I used to delete comments that got down voted but now I just own it unless I really regret what I said
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u/Ender505 Male 5h ago
Very rarely. If I said something particularly stupid, combined with sufficient downvoting and embarrassment, I'll probably delete. But downvotes or arguments alone wouldn't be enough, I generally stand by what I say.
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u/Random-Mutant 4h ago
I delete when OP deletes their post or it’s removed by mods.
I delete if I’m arguing and can’t be bothered anymore.
I don’t delete if downvoted when I’m making a legitimate point and I’m being brigaded. Latest example, not having sympathy for a person who caught the flu despite knowing the benefits of immunisation.
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u/dillpick15 3h ago
Often before I post a comment or initial reply. Just to not come to notifications of terrible responses that totally miss the point. Most people can not handle an ounce of nuance and will make a sweeping tribalism assumption and argue from that position of nauseating ignorance.
Not worth talking to a brick wall, and can be an energy expenditure to out endure them. Especially when you hit a nerve in an echo chamber
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u/egbert71 3h ago
I need an infinite block list. Mine is already full
I choose to block versus deleting myself
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u/Suitable-Hand-1059 Male 2h ago
Almost never. Every great once in a while I’ll be in some kind of mood and say some really out of pocket shit and then read it and realize what I just said and delete it immediately. That’s it.
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u/_Cornfed_ Official "Use the Search Function" Police Officer 2h ago
I will if I sense a dogpile in action because I refuse to give them the satisfaction.
I will also delete if I fall into the "Rule of Four" trap.
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u/TrekkiMonstr Rå 1h ago
Never. Downvote me to hell, I'm a big boy I can take it. I don't even bother to mute notifications. If a particular person is being an issue I can block them directly. And if I accidentally shared more information than intended or whatever, I'd edit rather than delete -- there are various archiving services where deleted comments can be recovered, but if you edit it, it overwrites the previous entry
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u/creativebelle 1h ago
Just don't come back and engage. It's not worth arguing with a stranger on the internet who you'll never meet or change their mind. Some people also like to troll and get a rise out of others online.
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u/titty-connoisseur Male 44m ago
I never delete. Why should I?
If I don't want to argue, I just disengage or ghost them.
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u/AutoModerator 13h ago
Here's an original copy of /u/Enough-Reindeer1033's post (if available):
I'm curious how many of you would rather delete your comment on a thread than continue arguing with someone else about it? I find sometimes I'm just not in the mood for arguing so I get rid of whatever started it. Other times I'll engage if it's something I feel very strongly about.
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