Unable to manage attachments

[jvdw007]

This is for Mods, GMs etc.

I have been dealing with DH to help me with a temporary solution by deleting attachments for me.

Basically, long story short, I am unable to delete attachments as I simply do not have the checkbox column in my UserCP. We exchanged screenshots and we both confirmed this.
The problem was also that all the attachment space was taken up by images tied to a closed thread, so there was no way for me to even edit that old thread to delete the image attachments.

Here's the link to the image to show you what I mean about not having the checkboxes on the right-hand side: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5474c5r4ws...2-08-35-15.png

According to DH, this is for security so people can't delete attachments in closed threads, but my question remains: Why am I the only one NOT able to delete my attachments, ie no checkboxes?
Any future for sale thread or other project thread that gets closed is going to bring up this problem again...
I think a wiki/help page should explain how this works ina bit more detail..

[DH]

As I said in my pm, you are not the only one that this happens too. For security I doubt this will change, but I suppose it's still worth discussing

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't mention that you're not the only one this happens too in one of my PM's, must have slipped my mind with all the pm's I was receiving at the time

In open threads you will be able to delete any attachments you like, but this only applies to closed threads, where I already mentioned to you, a GM is the only way forward, or a mod of that particular forum. This is not a temporary solution unfortunately, it's probably going to be the only way

My PM explaining the reasons below:-

Originally Posted by DH

If a thread is closed because it has gone beyond its usefullness but contains useful attachments (ie, instructions etc with images), the attachments are there to stay.

Also, it prevents someone from destroying threads or making them impossible to follow. That's why we have a limited time for editing posts, to stop destruction.

same applies with closed threads, if we were to allow users to delete attachments in closed threads, then they too could destroy a thread without realising what they have done, or maliciously destroy it because of a disagreement.

Think of it like a bit of security, that's why you need to ask a GM. Hope this explains it

I also mentioned, that before you request a GM to close a thread, you should make sure you have removed all the attachments first. This is easy for the 'For Sale' threads, as those images are only worthwhile for when the item hasn't been sold, after that, they are worthless.

[jvdw007]

Yes thank you for adding your thoughts on this.

I just find it strange as a forum user, you have to go and delete attachments before threads get closed etc

[DH]

In the past we have had disgruntled users who have sabotaged threads because of disagreements, or just plain lunacy and the "I'll show you" attitude.

Although we can return posts back to there original states, before the sabotage, I doubt we can do the same with attachments. Once they are deleted, I believe they are gone for good.

Here's an example, let's just say, you created a very interesting thread, had many useful attachments within it, and was 10 pages. A new user appears called "Barry the Bastard", who's had disagreements with you on other forums and has traced you here. You have no idea who he is, but he starts provoking you in that thread, and you both start arguing the toss in it. Eventually 3 pages later and many buckets of popcorn, and warning after warning, one of the GM's decides enough is enough and closes it.

You're so angry because of the outcome, extremely frustrated because the thread is now closed, and you're not thinking right, you pop off into your UserCP down to attachments and start deleting every single attachment that you posted within that thread. Now the thread has become useless as it required the attachments to make it understandable to follow. You have now destroyed a perfectly good and interesting thread despite it being closed.

Barry the Bastard gets banned (As he should with a name like that ), and you're banging your head against a wall for the vBulletin system not preventing you from doing something outlandish.

Maybe that will explain why you can't delete attachments within closed threads, and why you should remove them first before asking someone to close it

EDIT: I use Imgur.com (free) for images in my posts, I only use this because I don't care if the images are eventually deleted due to lack of views etc, anything I do want to keep, I use the forums attachments.

Imgur limitations:-

Total Account Images	225 Limit
Standard accounts are limited to the 225 most recent images. After that, the
newest uploads will be shown and the oldest uploads will be bumped out of
the account (not deleted, just hidden from within the account).

Image Compression	1 MB maximum
With standard accounts, images over 1 MB will be compressed until they are less
than 1 MB.

Image Removal     	6 months with no views
Normal images that are not viewed for 6 months may be removed.

Thumbnails	        Small and Large only

[demolition]

Quite often you don't have time to react before a thread gets closed if you posted attachments in someone else's thread.

Wouldn't it be more sensible that attachments in closed threads were freed from the personal storage pool, so they would still be there, but not counting on your MBs?

[DH]

But if we did that, certainly for attachments that weren't needed anymore, we would then be using the EAB server space permanently for images/attachments that were not required or needed.

Besides, not sure that can be done.

EDIT: Actually, the thread in question, was requested to be closed that contained the attachments, it was a 'For Sale' thread in the Market Place forum, so in all honesty, the OP who posted the attachments could have removed them before making the request.

EDIT2: Just checked our own vBulletin forum, and yes, you can switch it to allow users to delete attachments in closed threads. Not ideally sure if RCK or any of the other mods/GM's would agree to this option being allowed. In my opinion, and on our own forum, I wouldn't change it, but EAB is not mine, so as before it's all up to our Admin RCK to decide.

[prowler]

Note that every user has the option to ask a friendly moderator to delete his or her attachments in a closed thread.

If the attachments are so important that the thread will effectively be made useless by removing them, then you're unlikely to be successful.

In that case, you can still try uploading them to an image hosting site and providing links for the moderator to insert in the thread in lieu of the attachments. That would be an acceptable alternative.

[RCK]

Originally Posted by demolition

Wouldn't it be more sensible that attachments in closed threads were freed from the personal storage pool, so they would still be there, but not counting on your MBs?

Both point of view are valid,

• When a thread is closed, mods have to be able to review managements and posts to let them take decision.
• On the other hand, it take space in user quota, and they can't delete them until the ask it to GM

On opened thread, users can manage their attachements as they like, and closed thread are only a little %. Maybe we should launch a poll