I don't delete posts; like Bill D and John in Kansas, it usually takes me a while to compose a post, and takes enough time and effort that I don't feel tempted to even *consider* posting unless I think I have something to say that hasn't been mentioned yet and/or would really add to the discussion. I simply don't have the *time* to post frequently (I sometimes wonder how Mudcat's more frequent posters manage it!), and if I found myself regularly spending a fair amount of time on posts and then deleting them, I'd be beating myself up for wasting precious time. (I'm not saying that discretion ain't the better part of valor – just that it would really bother *me* to spend the kind of time I do writing posts and then end up not actually submitting them.)

As for "previewing" a post – I find it invaluable (unless it's an *extremely* short post). Not only is it helpful to read the post in a different font – but the format is different as well (the longer line length), and that's helpful too. Not only am I more likely to notice typos and mistakes in html, but when I preview my post, I often think of a slightly better/clearer way to word something. Every now & then, I even think of something to add that I wouldn't bother with if I had already submitted...

And yes, I too carefully "select" and "copy" my post before hitting "preview" or "submit" – the dismay at losing a couple of longish
(i.e., took me 10 min or more to compose) posts taught me to do that right quick!