What are all the dots?

[suspend6]

Numerous postings on this site merely have a full stop as the text. What does it mean? An expired link?

[SJB]

I don't think I have come across any dot posts.

Can you identify one?

[suspend6]

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=206#p952

[Teflon]

I think it is where a posting was made with no text, but just one (or more) photo and the photo is no longer available (moved; deleted etc).

Cliff

[suspend6]

So why would the photos no longer be available? They form part of the thread, and you would think they should remain?

[Iain Purdon]

Short of asking the original posters about their dot entries, I don't think we're going to find out.

I can hazard one guess.
If you post a comment and then decide you don't want it to stand, you have two options.
You can either delete the posting - in which case it will simply disappear - or edit it down to zero - in which case the posting will still show but no longer contain the material you have edited out. However, one rule of the site software is not to allow a posting with nothing in it, so I guess the only way to save the revised posting would be to add something that is not a blank space. That may explain the dot? Although any other single character would also work.

[suspend6]

Perhaps one of the posters of a "dot" entry might be able to clarify. Here's hoping one of them checks out this thread

[Iain Purdon]

.

[Iain Purdon]

In the post above I tested Teflon’s theory.
I posted a photo on its own.
I then deleted the photo and got a message saying my post contained too few characters and it wouldn’t save it.
I added a dot and it was happy.

[Iain Purdon]

!