Sometimes It’s Better to Hit Delete
For the second time in the history of this blog I have deleted a post.
While that is an hour of my life I am not getting back I feel better for doing it. Anyone who grabbed the RSS up to about ten minutes ago will still be able to read it, but I am happier with it not on the blog.
Sometimes what seems like a good idea in your head just doesn’t work in reality. No matter how I edited the post it just felt wrong.
I think it was never going to work because it was a negative post. While it didn’t particularly attack anyone, more a way of thinking, in the end it isn’t my style and because of that no amount of effort is going to make me happy with it.
And if you are not happy with your own blog, how can we expect readers to be?
Posted on July 19th, 2007 by Chris Garrett in Blogging
I saw that post, Chris. Your “mean” threshold is really low! But I can understand why it might have made you uncomfortable to have it out there. Sometimes it’s better to leave things unsaid on a blog. I hope you got those folks straightened out, though!
Yeah I am a big softy
Unfortunately, no, I never did get them straightened out 
thats true about deleting. not usual thing but I’ve done it in past.
It’s important to follow your gut and have a healthy queue of drafts ready to go, so if you don’t feel right about a post you’ll do the right thing and you have backup material in the wings.
When I find myself with a bad feeling in my gut while writing a post, I save it as a draft. It’s likely I’ll just delete the draft, but sometimes a bit of time and distance helps make a clear decision.
The real value that came out of this was that it allows other bloggers to see into your process and learn from that. Thank you!
Fortunately I read it at 6 this morning EST, because I thought it was right on the money. But you’re right about how it could be taken as too negative.
As experts (consultants, designers, etc.) it is often our job to be the *customer* advocate, even when our direct clients aren’t.
I’ve walked away from a few gigs because the client didn’t understand that. They can find a “yes-man” for a lot cheaper than I was charging them
I appreciate your honesty and sharing the “emotional side” of blogging. It’s hard to be snarky when it’s not who you really are. There’s also something to be said for appealing to your higher and better self when blogging. Sometimes I think people are mean, controversial, and negative just to get traffic to their site. It works for some, but then what comes around goes around.
I have actually deleted quite a few more than 2 posts that I didn’t quite feel right about. I totally understand that feeling. Sometimes I run things by my wife before posting them to make sure the post isn’t harsh or too negative. Every now and then my wife says, “You shouldn’t publish that!” and I don’t. I guess that makes her my better half
@aaab - It’s good to know I am not alone in this
@Michael - I really should post as draft, it would have saved it going out into the RSS :S
@Tony - Heh, one thing people don’t get with me is a yes-man. If I had wanted to be one of those I would have stayed in the JOB and not struck out on my own
@Anne-Marie - It does seem to work for some folks but I think if I tried people would see I am uncomfortable with it. These things leak out between the lines …
@George - Good idea, I should do the same. My wife would make a good conscience too I think
I appreciate this post, Chris.
I have a saved few drafts and then of course a bunch of blogging post ideas that I return to every so often. Sometimes you start putting something together that comes together nicely in the end. And…. sometimes not much.
Some of these drafts I am looking at right now seemed so original when I was out hiking with my dog. After being fleshed out, though, they are still vague and ill-formed.
Clearly, not everything we face needs to be expressed in our blogs.
I get the idea that what you deleted is more in that vein than ill-formed. Regardless, I came across your post at the right time and I am deleting those life-sucking drafts of my own right now. If for only that reason, your post about deleting served its purpose.
Love your blog, btw.
Thanks for your kind words. I think one thing I try to do is two sides of the same thought, adding value / doing no harm. If people can only benefit from what we right I think we are on the right track.
When I read that now-deleted post in the feed, it struck me as being most un-Chris-like. You have such a consistent and distinctive voice across your posts, that alone is probably good reason to delete one that doesn’t fit. But the basic message - to go directly to the customer rather than projecting your own values in assessing what the customer might want - was sound and valuable. I suspect that down the line you may find a way to re-cast that idea in a post that approaches the lesson from more of your usual positive angle!
I guess it is a good thing that there is a “Chris-like” and if that’s the case it is worth keeping. Thanks Jen, I appreciate your support
I know what you’re saying, Chris. I’ve been known to be the worst with this concept. I’ll think of an idea and act on it immediately without giving time to “Zen” on it. The next day or a week later I realize the idea stinks.
That’s why I have a filing cabinet these days to write my ideas on a piece of paper and file them for later.
Its better not to write than to post if its not worth and best is to delete it. I know how it feels like but well we are not good at all the time.
@Jason - You are so organised! I use scribefire notes, bookmarks, email myself … I need to get my wife to organise me again …
@Ashish - Sometimes I think my brain-keyboard connection is a little too strong so “not writing” wouldn’t work for me, but I can start posting as draft