# When to unlist, make private message, close, and delete

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-to-unlist-make-private-message-close-and-delete/57098>\
**Category:** Community Building\
**Created:** [February 7, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-to-unlist-make-private-message-close-and-delete/57098 "2017-02-07T23:19:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-to-unlist-make-private-message-close-and-delete/57098/2 "2017-02-07T23:48:54Z")

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Close: discussion is too contentious, not going in a productive direction, endless.

Delete: discussion is harmful / hurtful, went in a flat out _wrong_ direction, needs to be restarted from square zero

Unlist: Possible security implications, or not of general interest to the wider audience _at all_, highly specific to one person

Make PM: same as unlist, but “safer” since nobody can visit the URL any more. If you will need personal or intimate details to go further, probably a wise choice vs Unlist.

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_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-to-unlist-make-private-message-close-and-delete/57098)._