A Proposal to the Board (if possible)

[Ringo]

WHEREAS, many of the our brethren amongst the TM suffer from typos and incontinent editing, and,

WHEREAS, it is known to the petitioner from participation on another UBB board that at least part of said proposed change is possible,

PETITIONER INQUIRES as to the possibility of allowing, in addition to moderators, originating posters the ability to edit a post.

Coming down now (G*d, for a minute I thought I was a lawyer!), let me say that another board I have frequented (much less so since becoming a, dare I say it(?), 'reg' here) allows both the poster and the admin folk to edit a post. This other board is a computer give and take scenario and has almost no (I've never seen it) trolling. So they have not suffered from the situation I've never seen, but have heard described here, where on a board allowing editing a troll might phrase a question to inflame and edit it back to make the respondents seem out of line. This board might well be subject to such.

So, a modest proposal (once again, if possible): since I know the UBB software allows for setting up a condition wherein the originator of a post as well as admins can edit same, and the condition exists amongst many otherwise intelligent posters of posting with incomplete editing, typos, misspellings we kind of had a funny feeling about, etc., is it possible to allow the original poster something like 10 minutes to go back and edit that post to clarity?

As some sort of artistic statement, I'm not going to reread this before I frolic 'round the SUBMIT button.

Regards

[Sycorax]

Are you sure you AREN'T a lawyer? The MPSIMS topic took 3 reads, and this one, 2. Anyway, I don't feel strongly about this. People should put more thought into their posts, and re-read them for typos, etc. But then, maybe that's why I don't post as much as some -- I take the time to put some thought into my topic or reply and re-read for clarity, grammar, and punctuation. (Now, don't go looking for errors in some of my posts -- no doubt I have on occasion submitted something in a hurry and let a typo or two get by.)

[Omniscient]

absolutely not.. I donty whant anyone being able to goback and change the contenet of the posts they makk totall assses of them selfes in. I can hanndel the bad pennmanship!

[BoBettie]

Re: the OP,
I would like to cast my vote for editing ability. I'm using a newer laptop computer and I find that sometimes when I'm typing my curser jumps to another part of the post and makes a mess..I really try to proofread, but I would love a little time to edit posts after they're submitted.
Thank you,
Zette

[GuanoLad]

Editing posts is a very useful thing - it will help eliminate silly spelling and grammar typos, and UBB errors, and it will allow people to replace a double-post with a blank line. Amongst other things.

I vote 'Yes' to editing!

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"Vyvyan! Where did you get that Howitzer?" "...I found it."

The Legend Of PigeonMan - updates every Wed & Sat

[AuraSeer]

I vote no. An edit function would make it far too easy to screw around in a debate, by editing one's own words after they'd been replied to.

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Laugh hard; it's a long way to the bank.

[Ringo]

AuraSeer,

Have you thoght about the proposed 10-minute rule?

[Cessandra]

I vote no, even giving trolls 10 minutes to change their posts would be too much.

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Cessandra

Why sex is better than religion: There are laws against forcing sex on minors who can't think for themselves.

[pmh]

I like the 10 min idea. However, IIRC Tuba said in another thread that it isn't possible w/ the current UBB SW. It's edit or no.

If those are the only options, I vote no.

[TubaDiva]

Sorry, guys.

And you asked really nicely, too. And we appreciate that.

We don't moderate this board in real time, 24/7, but we do try to get to you and your problems as quickly as we can, and we work hard to try to resolve things when they do happen. Feel free to email any moderator or administrator when there's a problem that we can fix like that.

I also point out that on boards where the edit function is allowed, posts are cached and are not displayed on the board until they have been vetted by a moderator or administrator. Faced with not having edit function and having your posts appear in seconds . . .or having the ability to edit and having to wait until somebody in authority sees your post and releases it to the board so the rest of the world can view it, the choice is pretty easy, isn't it?

your humble TubaDiva/SDStaffDiv
for the Straight Dope

[Triskadecamus]

How about a poster enabled delete

If I screw it up badly enough, I just delete the darned thing, and post a corrected version from cut correct and paste. (Trolls will have their posts appear after the responses, an obvious state, which everyone will come to recognize.)

<p align="center">Tris</p>

[Drain Bead]

Is it possible to get a preview button so we can see what our posts will look like before we post them? This will help with a lot of the blown HTML.

[TubaDiva]

"Poster enabled delete" causes the same sort of problems poster enabled edit does -- it gives people the opportunity to screw around with others here. We really do have enough fistfights around here without voluntarily adding more.

Again, it's a security matter -- would you sacrifice near-instant availabilty of postings for edit and delete capacity? Because that's really the choice; we have to have SOME control over content, it ain't the Anarchy and Chaos Board. (It just feels like it sometimes. )

If you want something deleted or edited that you've added to the board in error, a note to that moderator -- or an Instant Message if they're online and they have this capacity -- is all it takes. If they can't remove it or change it, they'll give you a good reason why.

The current UBB software does not support html previewing. However, there's any number of html editors out there, what's to keep you from just dumping your text into one and previewing it there? Just cut and paste and hit the button, right? I have FrontPage . . . it's only a matter of a second or two to import entire pages. And that's not the only editor by far, there's all kinds out there.

I'll pass on your suggestions to UBB; maybe they're considering it. Let you know what I find out.

your humble TubaDiva/SDStaffDiv
for the Straight Dope

[Huemr]

Geeze,you guys krack me up. Wy not just git yerself a distsonery like I did, I harley ever misspeil anythin annymore.