I keep seeing deleted posts without any explanation every now and then as in this and this thread. It is quite annoying having a thread with answers and not knowing what the question was. Is there any chance to implement an "undelete" function? When someone deletes his posts they could be restored by a moderator if they are deemed important for the current context.

In the second link you post, the member deleted their posts from multiple threads of theirs to get banned, and has been banned. I'm pretty sure revisions of edited posts are kept, so I assume it would be possible to restore the original posts, but I'd say mod's or Jeremy would have to do it. But it could be a lot of work if the member(s) in question have deleted a large number of their posts.

In a similar thread I mentioned a forum I was a member of on which, once posted, all posts were saved and unchangeable. I really like that but what with the people duped by instagrans and the like I think it probably best just to delete posts. This included, if need be.

IMO it is childish behavior by the people doing this, but LQ strives to respect its users freedoms as far as possible, and being childish is not usually harmful to others.
And while I disagree with doing this (removing one's posts because unsatisfied with replies), I would disagree even more if some mod would dig the originals up again.

2 members found this post helpful.

I am not suggesting that every deleted post should be restored, e.g., sometimes people post in the wrong thread and then delete their post after they realize their mistake. Those posts do not need to be restored. But if posts are deleted that are essential to the thread (a mod would have to evaluate that) then I do not see a downside to restoring the post. I do not think that this is disrespecting someone's freedom, the members in linked threads were actually disrespectful.

Another issue is that Jeremy had made it clear on several occasions that threads/posts are not deleted because they may contain information that someone might find useful in the future. If those damaged/low quality threads/posts keep piling up, however, then people may very well come to the conclusion that LQ is a not a helpful but low quality forum. In the long run I think those threads are damaging to LQ and measures to contain the damage are justified.

Very specific situations aside, we don't have any plan to restore content that a member has intentionally deleted.

--jeremy

2 members found this post helpful.

This is a dangerously wrong conclusion.

As long as you do not provide any justification, your statement can be disregarded as "hot air".

Reading Jeremy's post #6, didn't he say that posts CAN be restored, but LQ would only do it if there was good reason?

I don't see how an OP who deletes their posts says anything about LQ being a "low quality forum" when they were given good/valid answers - which in the threads you link they were. That might say something about them, but it doesn't say anything about LQ as a forum. So I think you're wrong in forming that conclusion.

Members cannot delete posts.

The linked posts have been edited.

Posts have an edit history, so in theory they can be restored.

However it would be somewhat unethical for staff to reverse out post edits unless unless the OP had specifically requested it.

For what it's worth; allow the OP a certain amount of time (a few hours?) to edit posts. That way they can correct typos, format the post, etc. After that, lock the post (this can be done fully automagically in vBulletin). If the OP wants the post edited or deleted they can use the "Report Post" button to report their own post and ask a moderator to edit / remove.

Alternately, if you're the first poster to reply in a thread then quote the whole of the original post.