Editing posts

[Paul_UK]

In another thread Joey asked:
It IS pretty annoying how you can't edit your post after a certain time period, though. What is the point of time-limited editing (vs. editing at any point)? Seems uber-dumb to moi.
The reason is that editing can mess up the flow of a discussion. If someone makes a comment, then other people respond to it, but then the first person removes or changes their comment, we end up with a thread which doesn't make sense.

So it is fairly normal in forums to limit the time posts can be edited, so it's plenty long enough to allow someone to correct errors etc but not such that messages can be changed days later.

Moderators can edit posts at any time, so you can always ask one of us if you want something changed or removed when you can't edit it yourself.

[joeyconnick]

In another thread Joey asked:

The reason is that editing can mess up the flow of a discussion. If someone makes a comment, then other people respond to it, but then the first person removes or changes their comment, we end up with a thread which doesn't make sense.

So it is fairly normal in forums to limit the time posts can be edited, so it's plenty long enough to allow someone to correct errors etc but not such that messages can be changed days later.

Moderators can edit posts at any time, so you can always ask one of us if you want something changed or removed when you can't edit it yourself.Well this is the very first forum I've EVER found with time-limited editing, and I've been online for over a decade so I refute the idea that it's "normal." And if you have an active thread, you could easily mess up the flow of discussion within the time period editing is allowed. So... I don't see how it really improves anything. I think editing should either be on or off... not this bizarre half-measure that is more confusing than not being able to edit at all.

[Paul_UK]

I don't know what the editing period here is, but I would think around 15-30 minutes is reasonable for fixing the errors that we inevitably only spot after posting. That would be close to "no editing" but with a bit of flexibility for human error.

If it's set to something like 24 hours then that is a bizzare half-measure that needs to be sorted out one way or the other. I don't actually know what it's set to as being a mod I can always edit posts, but I also can't access the admin settings to view/change the limit.

Over half the forums I access regularly have time limits on editing, but I guess it just varies on the type of forum and how often they have problems with threads getting messed up that way. Here we don't have that sort of problem at the moment so there is no real need for a limit.

[Corny]

i don't know what other forums you visit, but for forums with a larger population a time-limit on edit functionality is pretty common. and if they don't have that, they only allow you editing as long as nobody posted after you.
this usually is to prevent people from changing the content of their post in a way to fool the others and/or mods admins.
eg: you insult another poster, who gets pretty upset and writes a not nice response. you edit your posts, to something relatively harmless, and suddenly poster2 looks like the bad guy.

[joeyconnick]

I don't know what the editing period here is, but I would think around 15-30 minutes is reasonable for fixing the errors that we inevitably only spot after posting. That would be close to "no editing" but with a bit of flexibility for human error.

If it's set to something like 24 hours then that is a bizzare half-measure that needs to be sorted out one way or the other. I don't actually know what it's set to as being a mod I can always edit posts, but I also can't access the admin settings to view/change the limit.

Over half the forums I access regularly have time limits on editing, but I guess it just varies on the type of forum and how often they have problems with threads getting messed up that way. Here we don't have that sort of problem at the moment so there is no real need for a limit.Well I can still edit the post directly about this, so it's obviously set to several hours.

And yes, I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't think we need it here.

[joeyconnick]

i don't know what other forums you visit, but for forums with a larger population a time-limit on edit functionality is pretty common. and if they don't have that, they only allow you editing as long as nobody posted after you.
this usually is to prevent people from changing the content of their post in a way to fool the others and/or mods admins.
eg: you insult another poster, who gets pretty upset and writes a not nice response. you edit your posts, to something relatively harmless, and suddenly poster2 looks like the bad guy.Yes, that's why any decent forum software should keep copies of edits to posts that at least the admins and mods have access to. But I know that's too much to expect from vBulletin.

/me hates vBulletin's silly limitations

[Seth]

Hello,

I have just changed the time limit to 15 minutes. It was in a bizzare limit before of 1,440 minutes.

Thank you

[joeyconnick]

Hello,

I have just changed the time limit to 15 minutes. It was in a bizzare limit before of 1,440 minutes.

Thank you1440 minutes = 24 hours

[Micah]

As Paul said, just message one of us and we'll change any errors in your post :)

[Proud1p4]

Yes, that's why any decent forum software should keep copies of edits to posts that at least the admins and mods have access to. But I know that's too much to expect from vBulletin.

/me hates vBulletin's silly limitations

I think that's very childish of you...why dont you try running a board and then say what "decent forum software" should have...so stop complaining, be thankful this board even exists...i dont mean to be mean to you...but what you said was very childish.

[Paul_UK]

I'll close this thread before it becomes unpleasant! :)