Delete whole thread specifically because I imagine that is two layers to check through, you both have to find the deleted post and then its edit history, instead of just edit history. The whole principle of "a determined thief could probably break into anywhere, but they'll probably pick the low-effort unlocked house and skip over the one with a security camera, two dogs, and a tall wire fence," just make it harder and more inconvenient to find the post content. (I do say this not being 100% aware of how the code behind the Fediverse works, nor if we have something similar to the Reddit undeleter sites yet. Also do not know if the Reddit undeleter sites recovered old versions of posts before edits.)

I usually do make the assumption anything on the internet is for forever, but I also think we're well aware that sometimes people make mistakes, and sometimes people realize only after they commit the mistake. I am not so sure just saying "well the internet is forever, just give up" is the smart decision here. I'd prefer losing an online discussion over someone self-doxxing and being unable to take it down.

In general, I also use deletion because sometimes I'll type out a reply I think is nice and measured, but then I think of if the other person is going to be okay with me trying to politely disagree or if I'll get a much more harshly-worded reply full of insults in return. I end up deleting to avoid the conflict and misery. I can understand why people would want to access the discussion, especially since I'm pretty sure I still stand by what I said in those but just took it back to save myself "fuck you!!!" in my inbox, or worse a lovely logical disagreeing response… with a bunch of namecalling surprise at the end. I'm not sure I'd be able to keep calm and report instead of sending back a whole thing on how that wasn't very nice and how heartbreaking it is that I was engaging in good faith (and not just pretending to and using that as a cover, not sealioning) and got responded to as if I was being much nastier, what happened to kindness and civility and educating people you think are wrong instead of hating on them immediately… (and then I delete it because I realize how bad it looks and that it'd only invite more vitriol.)

No, this has not happened to me yet, especially because most of my opinions fall in line with the Fediverse at large. I have not posted transphobia and rightfully gotten bashed for it and then end up crying about why people are so mean to me when I just said the T slur. But I have seen enough unkind replies like this to a person not being nasty or bigoted that I do fear it. Even now I kind of want to delete because I'm worried you'll say "well just then block em lol, grow up" (yes, I would, but obviously being told the nasty things meriting a block in the first place does not feel good) and a bunch of "toughen up you snowflake" type things to me. In real life, I have not really had people be nasty to me and I have continued expectations that people will continue to treat me in a way that does not involve hostility, so of course I do not have high defenses for that.

Funnily enough this only happens with typed words. In real life I think I only ever said something I wanted to take back once in elementary, but I have also encountered a much smaller number of belligerent people who I think would swear at me in real life than I have online.