Sometimes people say things in the heat of the moment that they later regret. They also write things that look differently than they intended. So, for those reasons, and others, the delete ability is nice.

As to your other point, it is the very fact that someone is more likely to declare they are gone after an emotionally difficult set of posts, and they are not in the best frame of mind to make such a decision, that I am usually willing to ignore such rash statements. Why shouldn't someone be allowed to change their mind, anyway? In any case, why would you care unless you really just wanted to get rid of the individual, in which case the declaration that they will be gone is just a convenient hook to get rid of them, and not the actual reason you want them to stay away.

Just some thoughts.

Michael Siskin