Limited editing window?

Following Ken's mad editing exploits, I think it might be an idea to limit editing of post to a short window after their creation (say two hours?) - that would allow posters to make any corrections they need, sort out dodgy tags and the other positive things that editing allows while preventing abuses like Ken's. Presumable admin editing would continue to be allowed for an indefinite period.I'm guessing this would be fairly easy to implement?

I'm contemplating the following changes to the edit capability later this year:

1. A text box for the reason for the edit. The box cannot be left empty.
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2. Message edit privileges for members. By default they are on, but abusers lose their edit privileges.

Comments? More suggestions?--Percy

I vote for 24 hours, but I think it's a great idea. Editing posts that have already been responded to (oh, oh, ending in a preposition--ending a sentence in a preposition is something up with which I will normally not put {borrowed from a quote thread}) creates a real confusing thread, and it happens here and there.

I presume this topic is an outgrowth of my message 6 ("Ken's editing of previous messages"), at the "Directory of creationist sites, essays, arguments, and quotes" topic. Part of the reason I closed that topic, is so that this debate would not happen there. Part of what I said there was:

quote:

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While it is not totally improper to go back and edit things, it isn't really proper to change the content after the topic has proceeded.

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If you must go back and edit old messages, it's only right that you ADD information, to correct or clarify what you were saying. Please preserve what you said initially, and make clear what content is by what later edit.

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Essentially, I think that the original content of messages should remain the same, after the message is posted. Original messages should not be "updated". Updating your thoughts is what subsequent messages are for.

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Not the most eloquent statement, but I wanted to get it said and done, and get that topic closed.Mr Jack said:

quote:

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Following Ken's mad editing exploits, I think it might be an idea to limit editing of post to a short window after their creation (say two hours?)

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Ideally, editing for content should be done before the initial posting is done. Use the "preview" feature, to look at your tentitive message. That said, we all have occasions where we think we have the final form, and click on "submit". Then we see we were wrong, and want to do an edit. In those cases, any editing for content should be only very shortly after the original posting time. Maybe a 15 minute window would be adaquate. I think that 2 hours would be too generous.Unfortunately, permissions for editing for content, and permissions for editing for typos, spelling errors, formating, etc. can't be made seperate.The bottom line is, a note about what the edit was is a nice touch. You can see my examples at the above cited message.Adminnemooseus

How about an edit being only an addition? In other words, you wouldn't be able to edit the original content, just add a note clarifying a typo or adding an explanation about something that might not be clear.Maybe offensive content that needed to be removed could be removed by request to moderators for that forum.

Ken, please read this topic from message 1.(Also wanted to try my new avatar, which isn't as scary as my drivers licence photo)minnemooseus, posting for Adminnemooseus

I like option 2. I sometimes don't reread a post until the next day. I may spot a typo or a poor choice of words, and if it hasn't been quoted in a response I might edit it. I never change the meaning of what I've said, and if I add to the point I was making in any way, I will clearly mark the edit. I don't think any administrator would have a problem with any of my edits. I think this option would be the easiest to live with.

Oops! Sorry if you were trying to make a point with your bump, I didn't notice before that last post. This should set things back.

I think that we should leave things the way they are. I have been a member here for about a year and a half and Ken is the only person I have seen that has caused a problem by editing the content of past messages. I am not aiming to give Ken a hard time about this, it is probably the way he likes to do things and maybe this is acceptable at the other forums he posts on.But really there is only one member causing problems with this, although he isn't deliberately meaning to confuse anyone. I think once Ken gets to grips with the way things are done around here then the editing problem will go away.Brian.

How about a time stamp with every edit, just while we're waiting for the real changes to kick in?PE