How to get a Pastie removed

13 Nov 2010

Quick tips from my observations of reading way too many abuse requests and how I typically respond to them.  Note: these are tips on about how to get a Pastie removed... If you merely want to report perceived abuse and throw your request over the fence (and don't care that much what I do with it), then write it however you wish.

However, if you truly want a Pastie taken down quickly then the following tips are invaluable.

Do:

• Use the report abuse link
• Use words like "sorry" or "please"
• Try and stick to things that violate your or others privacy/security
• Be factual, but dispassionate
• Be short and sweet

Do not:

• Insult my intelligence
• Exaggerate ("the world will end if you don't remove this")
• Threaten me with legal action
• Try to apply your own moral compass to the Internet
• Ask for IP addresses (unless you are state or federal law enforcement)

It's the old honey vs vinegar argument... I delete a lot of Pasties without even looking at them (not enough hours in the day) if the request is sincere and heartfelt (most are)... but if you insult me, cuss me out, threaten me, etc... You're just giving me a reason to put off reading your email or to carefully review the paste in question and take some time making my determination.

Maybe it's a character flaw but your bad attitude is more likely to bring my bad attitude out to play... and that isn't how you get a Pastie removed quickly.