Has the time limit on editing a post been changed?
JonoH wrote:
Why, instead of allowing the editing of old posts can users simply not reply, quote, and state their intended position, maintaining the integrity of the responses below it?
My last thoughts on this....
Let's say a thread is 18 pages deep. Let's say I posted on page 1, but I posted the wrong information for (eg) how to split the wifi, rename it, change the passkey, alter how the router allocates an IP address. Then upon reading this back myself, I then correct that mistake, but by then I post the correct info on page 3 to 18 - there's nothing 'noted' on that initial reply that it is incorrect. (clearly others could post to make me aware of my error too).
But future readers would start at post 1 on page 1, get to my post and then get extremely pis annoyed that my info was incorrect. They might respond to my post stating their anger/frustration. But if they kept reading they'd find the right information.
The same can be said for our data transfer rate - we did give the URL to others to check their own. Plusnet removed this and thus that info is now incorrect. I cannot go back to remove that link... Unless the URL is going to be reincarnated for the 'new' method.
(just my final thought on that matter)
As stated, we have observed numerous cases of an OP (there are other posts, too) having it's text removed leaving the word 'Deleted' or similar. This does present problems of how to keep the thread's integrity which, in all honesty, is nigh on impossible.
Time out? Ban them?
Anyway, guess the 20 minute counter is for all posters, staff included? But then this slows down staff response times as they have to proof read before posting...?
There have been times that PMs have been received from disgruntled members who took their time and energy in giving well thought-out responses only to see their post(s) disappear.
I had no idea we could delete the thread itself
. I only thought it was our post(s).
Personally I think too much time is being wasted
Have to agree, that's why this'll be all from me on here......
(in case I mess up and only have 20 mins to head-hit it all 
)
more pressing issues that need to be addressed.
Yes, like being able to post on here without all the hassle I appear to have on occasion
Love and peace to all:)
@DS wrote:
There have been times that PMs have been received from disgruntled members who took their time and energy in giving well thought-out responses only to see their post(s) disappear.
I had no idea we could delete the thread itself
@DS Just to clarify I was referencing the occasions a mod has had to remove the entire thread because the removal of the OP text has left all replies meaningless. Members don't have any way to actually remove any posts from the boards.
Oh, the copper coloured coin has fallen from my hand and gravity took over.
Sooo, somebody starts a thread and then decides to ask you volunteers to delete it....<insert anything of your choice here>
Which then, the other contributors are then miffed..... <insert anything of your choice here>
Well, that's .... <insert anything of your choice here>
Ain't nobody heard of Google snoop cache? (caught many a pre-edit/deletion when I used to offer my services on the BTbeta forums, then and now still owned (according to their lower right image) Lithium.
Though quit that place years ago.... Oops, another coin has fallen;)
(funnily enough, most of my threads are going nowhere fast, if you ain't too busy!!
)
@DS wrote:
Oh, the copper coloured coin has fallen from my hand and gravity took over.
Sooo, somebody starts a thread and then decides to ask you volunteers to delete it....<insert anything of your choice here>
I don't think the coin has quite reached the floor yet
Nobody asks any mod to delete a post they just go and remove the text. That's when we have to step in and sort out the mess it leaves
boing <may have been copper coloured, turns out it was rubber>
Ooooh, now me can got it 
So we're actually in a Khoros Zoo, with a big sign some can't be reading....
Don't feed the animals!
(as they get fed, but only within 20mins of arriving
)
Thanks for your feedback @billnotben could you help me understand the rationale because as always I'm open to change the decision if I'm wrong. it would be helpful for me if you could answer the following.
- What is (in your opinion) the right amount of time that a customer should be able to go back and edit a post?
- What do we do about maintaining the integrity of the thread if the (sometimes pages) of replies now all appear to make no sense or are off topic?
- What does an edit achieve, that can't be rectified by a reply with a quote and an explanation or clarification of the point you meant?
@Townman wrote:
Can we be reminded what the time limit was please?
it was either 24 or 48 hours I can't remember exactly
Can we be advised of the thought process which reduced it to 20 minutes?
I've just spent 15 minutes trying to find the thread it was discussed in, to no avail :S
Is there any measure on the prevalence of the problem this solution seeks to fix?
It's difficult to show, obviously there's no metric that can be automated to show how often an edit makes subsequent posts irrelevant.
It is difficult to offer informed answers to your questions without knowledge of the above … beyond the simplistic view that many of us think 20 minutes is unreasonably short. As @Mav suggests we are in danger of spending too much time on this.
I genuinely (and I'm not being difficult) don't see the problem that not being able to edit after 20 minutes causes that can't be rectified by a reply, quote and clarification. I'm interested to know if I've missed something.
I remain teased that some how I got the verb in the title to this topic wrong and was unable to correct it when I noticed it, when reading the first response. We all make mistakes, this very short time limit is exceedingly unforgiving!
I'd be happy to revisit the time, I just think a day or more is a very long time 
(Also, I'll fix that for you).
I agree that more than a day is overly generous, 24 hours is very flexible and feels right. Even 12 hours might be reasonable, but anything less becomes unhelpful.
I genuinely (and I'm not being difficult) don't see the problem that not being able to edit after 20 minutes causes that can't be rectified by a reply, quote and clarification. I'm interested to know if I've missed something.
I suggest that posts 40 and 4 illustrate well the consequential issue.
I deliberately made mistakes in 40 which I intended to fix a little later … having returned to review responses … I saw that my post had been quoted including the errors … which I would have previously corrected the original to improve readability. Following the suggested 'solution' to the curtailed edit time, I needed to generate a new post (interrupting the flow of the topic) to glaringly draw attention to the errors I had made. I do not see that as helpful to anyone.
As I suggested previously, it all depends on the intent of the edit. To be blunt, if it is going to be set as low as 20 minutes, it might as well be zero minutes - just publish and be dammed!
Conversely ...
I genuinely (and I'm not being difficult) don't see the problem that we are trying to fix, which not being able to edit after 20 minutes fixes, that can't be remedied by other moderator action** against the offenders. I'm interested to know if I've missed something.
What has been suggested is that
We have a significant problem where people make posts, to which others make responses and the OP redacts their OP all within a little more than 20 minutes which has brought about a sufficient level of user discontent that has moved the mods to ask Plusnet to reduce the re-edit time limit to 20 minutes - thereby impacting all users.
Is that really the case? If it is, then I'll leave the matter alone!
**Does Lithium keep previous versions of posts or is there just the "current" version? If yes, how feasible is it to allow mods to restore the pre-redacted version?
Note: I have on an odd occasion completely redacted a reply post (before it was responded to) when realising I had posted to the wrong topic, or realised I had misunderstood the question. I suggest that there is a place for the full redaction of posts, but not so as to render the whole thread meaningless … but we have lots of those not caused by this issue … it is a part of forum life!
@Anonymous That seems to me to be a perfectly acceptable solution, providing it can be enabled without much effort (or Khoros involvement. )
@Anonymous wrote:
When a post is submitted you are free to edit up until the first reply is posted, as the reply will be based on the OP. At this point the post becomes locked, so a quote / update is needed. The reply itself can also be edited until it is replied to with the logic chaining all the way down thread hierarchy?
Great idea, but the only thing we have is a time limit,