I think I speak for all the mods here when I say that we have been known to remove or change posts after the 12 hours is up. We don't like doing it and get grumpy about it, but we aren't unreasonable.
If someone posts something personal that is directly naming or indicating a place and person etc (nycindie's list was thorough on this) and didn't know they couldn't change it or hadn't thought it was public, or didn't think people would read it or whatever, then we can still change it for you.
Besides; we don't really want to invite stalkers who want to make MORE work for us. If we see that more work will come out of us NOT changing a post, chances are we will change it to avoid work down the road. Please though, take care of yourselves as its super fucking annoying to spend our time changing your mistakes and uh ohs. Really, really it is. (Unless you are going to give us money, send chocolates, buy us a car...cause then we will change anything you want of your posts then,
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It is the members responsibility to keep their annonymit, not ours. I don't see that as unreasonable. Our job description does not include taking care of peoples privacy. That's your job description.
Really though, in all the years I have been here there is very few situations and stories that are unique. If someone came here to dig up dirt we could match them with many stories that are similar. It just wouldn't hold ground in court or anywhere else to take a post with a false name on it, no place names and a story that doesn't give any indication the details of particular people.
I think that most of the time people become fearful and don't think rationally. Too bad really becausae they miss out on a great resource here just because they get paranoid. Its like safe sex. Do everything you can think of to stay safe, think about every move you make, watch others and what they say and do, get used to that safety and when you feel comfortable with the boundaries you've created for yourself, tried it all on for size, then have at er! Rely on your instinct and if you have an "oops" let us know and we will help out if we can. Just don't make us the barer of your "oops." It nothing to do with us that you fucked up.