Resolved annotations should be archived rather than deleted
Aliases: comment archive · resolution state · annotation audit trail
What it is
A resolved-comment archive removes completed discussions from the active work surface while preserving messages, anchors, resolver, timestamp, and state transitions in searchable history. Resolution means that no action is currently required; it does not mean the exchange never occurred. Deletion is a distinct action with different semantics and permissions.
Why it happens
Hiding completed threads reduces visual noise, but retaining them explains why a change was made, prevents repeated debate, and allows mistaken or recurring issues to be reopened. State transitions separate attention management from organizational memory: the default view stays focused while provenance remains recoverable. An undiscoverable archive, however, functions much like deletion.
Studying it
Compare deletion, collapsed archives, and persistent display on current review speed, repeated questions, successful decision reconstruction, and recovery from erroneous resolution. Longitudinal tasks should include membership turnover and version rollback. Access tests should cover who can discover, search, reopen, and permanently remove records.
Where it stops holding
Not every annotation warrants indefinite retention. Personal data, abusive content, legal obligations, or explicit schedules may require controlled erasure. An archive also should not substitute for a formal decision record when a conclusion affects several objects or external workflows. Excessive retention raises search and privacy costs.
Applying it
- Make resolve, reopen, and delete separate actions with explicit consequences and permissions.
- Collapse archives by default but expose them through anchors, search, version history, and activity views.
- Record who resolved a thread, when, and with what brief outcome; restore the original thread on reopening.
- Define retention and purge policies, including an auditable permanent-deletion path for sensitive material.