Way to edit post after first few minutes

[newacct 688]

It currently seems to be possible to edit a post only in a short time after the post is made. After that, you can't change it or delete it.

Sometimes, people make an inaccurate comment early in a thread, and, although they admit they were wrong and correct themselves later on, people who read the thread will continue to reply to their original incorrect post, saying how wrong they were, sometimes even months later. This is because people read the thread chronologically, and may not know what the poster may have said afterwards.

I propose that we allow editing your own post at any time; or, if we are afraid that people will change their post to misrepresent what they originally said, at least allow people to later on add an "update" or "clarification" that won't replace but will be appended to the bottom of the post.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

It would become very confusing if everyone could change and edit their posts whenever they pleased after they were posted. It could make much of the discussion that follows totally irrelevant if the main point of the discussion has been edited after the fact. Currently there is, I believe, 10 minutes in which someone can edit their comments. That is usually sufficient time to review what you have written and go back to correct any spelling mistakes or things that are unclear. If there is later information that is posted that corrects earlier mis-information, you can use the report button and ask a Moderator to arrange for the earlier post to be deleted or for a comment to be added that directs the reader to the corrected post/information.

I don't know of any forum (certainly none to which I belong) that allows unlimited editing. Most have a 5 to15 minute time limit, and yeah, I've found the spelling error or missed word a minute after that time frame has expired, too .

I think instead of allowing people to edit without any limitation, it would be better to encourage them to read to the end of the thread before posting so that they have the most recent and up to date information. Of course, there are some people who are going to be too impatient to do that, but that is one of the liabilities of posting in an open forum.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Kathryn41