Steemit posts on the Blockchain - How to delete them? by andrew0

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seemit · @andrew0 · Jul 26 '16 (edited)

$0.31

Steemit posts on the Blockchain - How to delete them?

In the universe, in nature, in human life and society, one thing is certain: IMPERMANENCE.
Everything which pops out is doomed to end, even the hugest stars and planets.
THEN, we have the Blockchain, the only ultra-permanent thing in the universe, since now :-)

http://www.ebooks4free.net/andrew_pasta.png 
this is me with a pastafarian - recursive picture (selfie - iPhone 4s)

__Ok, this was humour, let's go to the real question__.
I might be a newbye but __I didn't find the way to delete even a single post__ (no button, no link, nothing).

So it means that it's not possible to delete them? Or some special ability to find the delete option is needed? (if so, I don't have it).

Furthermore, __I don't like the idea of my posts written into stone forever__ (they might prove worng, in a near future).

__Another very disturbing issue is with tags (I know, I know, is beta) but:
why is impossible to modify them after you have published the post?__

Please help me understand all of this.

Andrew - Italy

👍 trogdor, williambanks, jillstein2016, bladetrigger, andrew0, lordemau, auctions, pr3ttyp3rf3ct, proctologic

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@trogdor · Jul 26 '16

Technically the only way to erase something from the blockchain is with a hard fork, which it is extremely unlikely the community would rally around the cause of deleting a certain post. So for all intents and purposes, your posts will be permanent. Steemit.com allows you to edit your posts, but what you are really doing is posting a new post to the blockchain and the website interpets it as an update. The original post will always exist and can always be seen with a block explorer although it might not be visible on steemit.com.

👍 andrew0, strangedays

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@andrew0 · Jul 26 '16 (edited)

Thank you for the very accurate answer.
I believe in the blockchain as a great technology, but I think it's not really the best tool for user generated content, like here on steemit.
No one really wants his post to be kept forever in the blockchain, for many, many reasons we could easily figure out.
I think that a very visible advice about this way of storing data should be displayed to users before publishing any single post (we can't expect that every user has time and interest to read the legal disclaimer which is basically for layers and other few people).
Our posts are linked to our social media accounts too, with so many issues about privacy, right to delete own content, inappropriate content which may lead to legal problems, copyrighted content, etc.
I hope the developers may re-consider this problems and give some feedback to the community.

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@williambanks · Jul 26 '16

@andrew0  It's not impossible but it is mathematically intractable given classical computing.  In about 5 years we will see broad scale commercial quantum computing though and then that happens you'll probably be able to fix things like that.  Basically it's a matter of brute forcing the blockchain, deleting your post and substituting a new chain sans your post and getting all the other nodes to accept that as their reality.

An easier idea might be to not say stupid things that will haunt you the rest of your life :)

👍 williambanks

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@andrew0 · Jul 26 '16 (edited)

I don't think we need quantum computing, just avoid the blockchain (or develop a different kind of blockchain that allows to delete unwanted data).
The problem is not only writing stupid things, it's all about respect of privacy and right to delete one's own content at will, if it's not so, I think many problem will follow.
Also read my answer to @trogdor to see how many issues will rise with this kind of data storage.

👍 williambanks

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@williambanks · Jul 26 '16

@andrew0
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/992/394/761.gif

In all seriousness though...  Social media is a horrible application for blockchain technology for precisely the reasons you state.  You can't delete and while you can edit the history is forever there.  Thus if you look like a douche on steemit, the entire internet will forever know that you have in fact been a douche.

I fear for my children in a world that will not let them forget the mistakes of their youth.
I fear for myself in a world that will not let me forget the mistakes of my senility.
Eitherway, it is what it is.  Unless you can find a way to make the internet forget, in which case, count me in!

👍 andrew0, bunker-tanks, snapthecity

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