No ?
please don't delete the original message that started a thread
Imagine opening a thread with 12 replies and the original message that started it all has been deleted... 🤦♀️
❌ Don't do this
T.J Miller decided to delete his original question: maybe it was dumb, let me just remove it. But that message was the root of an entire thread — 7 replies now reference a question that no longer exists.
Most people who do this don't realize the collateral damage. It's a reflex: "I'll clean up my message, nobody will notice."
But in threaded conversations, the starter message is the context for everything below it. Without it, replies become cryptic fragments, decisions lose their reasoning, and anyone who opens the thread later has zero idea what's being discussed.
The same goes for:
- Deleting a question after it's been answered in a thread
- Removing an announcement that has follow-up replies
- Editing the starter to say something completely different
- Deleting a decision message with a thread of approvals
- Removing a shared link that people discussed below
The thread dies without its root!
✅ Instead, try this
Editing the message with an update preserves all context — future readers can see the original question, the discussion, and the resolution in one place.
Instead of deleting a thread starter, try:
- Edit with a note: "(resolved — see thread for decision)"
- Add a reply at the bottom summarizing the outcome
- If the info is wrong, strike it through and add the correction
- If it's sensitive, explain why you're redacting it
Threads are living documents. The starter is the title of the chapter — delete it and the whole story falls apart.
When done right, every thread tells its full story. 🎉