# A Small Suggestion or Request **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 15, 2019, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882 "2019-12-15T05:08:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/41 "2019-12-16T15:00:08Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Unlimited editing could, and probably would, lead to all kinds of Shenanigans. Maybe, but almost no one is asking for that, just a longer edit window. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/42 "2019-12-16T15:57:41Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I wouldn’t say there’s an “adamantine devotion” to the rule. It’s more, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” When editing was permitted, 5 minutes was chosen, and **no one has really offered a compelling reason that more is really necessary**. I respectfully disagree. These points have been raised: - The 5-minute limit is unusually short and many message boards operate successfully with longer windows. - Numerous posters have described problems with the 5-minute window because of time-outs or multi-tasking. Further, if this board were open to change, you could alter the window to 15 minutes for a three-month trial period, thus gathering objective evidence as to whether it would work or not, then decide whether a permanent adjustment was warranted. The fact that TBTB won’t directly offer a logical response to the above, or consider testing a longer window, points to that “adamantine devotion.” To repeat myself repeatedly, personally I’m not especially bothered by that. While I think a longer window would be better (15 minutes seems like a good middle ground), the short window (and the resistance to change) is part of the ethos of this place. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/43 "2020-01-13T18:00:47Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > This question is raised again maybe every six months. As you remark, there has to be some limit on editing. We have concluded that five minutes is an adequate time to make changes, while not causing too much disruption. If you’re really concerned, get in the habit of previewing your posts. You can also quote your post and make a correcting. And as **ITD** says, if there is a serious error that results in changing the meaning you can ask a mod to change it for you. I was amused this morning when I did a search for all the threads I have ever started on this board and I found this one from about 8 years ago. I swear that I have absolutely no memory of starting this thread. It just seems kind of “funny” to see and compare it to the current thread - especially the last sentence of the 8 year old thread. > **[Length of Time to edit a post before you can't edit it any more.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=665251)** > > I have found that after I first make a post, I can edit it for about five minutes but no longer. I understand the administrators of this board have made the decision as to how long people should be allowed to edit their posts. But, I find it very... ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/44 "2020-01-14T00:03:38Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I was unable to figure out how to make a thorough search. I think the recommended search method is to Google “site:straightdope.com foo”, where you replace “foo” with whatever it is you are searching for. Example: “site:straightdope.com edit window” Result: [https://www.google.com/search?q=site:straightdope.com+edit+window](https://www.google.com/search?q=site:straightdope.com+edit+window) ~Max ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/45 "2020-01-14T04:03:37Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I respectfully disagree. These points have been raised: > > - The 5-minute limit is unusually short and many message boards operate successfully with longer windows. > - Numerous posters have described problems with the 5-minute window because of time-outs or multi-tasking. > > Further, if this board were open to change, you could alter the window to 15 minutes for a three-month trial period, thus gathering objective evidence as to whether it would work or not, then decide whether a permanent adjustment was warranted. > > The fact that TBTB won’t directly offer a logical response to the above, or consider testing a longer window, points to that “adamantine devotion.” For what it’s worth, I concur with all of this. I often have timeout issues when editing posts and I often rush through my edits so I don’t miss the window. I think 15 minutes would be plenty, and a 3-month trial period sounds like a great idea to me. Also: I started reading TSD in about 1987. I bought all the books and I’ve been lurking on this site since about 1996. I get the strong impression that we on this board are collectively aging and there aren’t many new members to freshen things up. (Mods: is that a fair assessment?) In light of that, maybe we shouldn’t cling so tightly to things like a 5-minute edit window that are unusual for an online forum. The silverbacks on this board may like it, but it may also feel a bit unfriendly to those accustomed to other forums. Given that there are no new SD columns forthcoming, why not loosen the policy a bit and see how it goes? It would be nice to do what we can to keep the community vibrant as long as possible. On a related note, the board owners require the mods to shut down discussions of certain topics; I understand that this is non-negotiable, but I also understand that many of the restrictions could have been written by the RIAA in 2001. The restrictions at best seem somewhat parochial and out of date to younger people. At worst, they give off a petty-tyranny vibe (even if it’s undeserved). Since the discussion restrictions aren’t going away, why not try loosening up where we can? A three-month trial of a 15-minute edit window seems like a pretty low-risk thing to try. We can always revert to the way things are now. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/46 "2020-01-14T05:33:27Z")
Well, another related question might be: Whose intervention would be required to make this, or any, change? Can the moderators change the edit time limit? Or do they need to send the request up the food-chain to get it done? Can the Board Administrator (to-wit: **TubaDiva** ) do it? Or does it need to get sent even further up the programming staff to happen? If so, that would likely be a roadblock right there. We’ve already known for a while that the upper management doesn’t want to invest a whole lot of personpower in operating this board. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/47 "2020-01-14T14:07:19Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Well, another related question might be: Whose intervention would be required to make this, or any, change? > > Can the moderators change the edit time limit? Or do they need to send the request up the food-chain to get it done? > > Can the Board Administrator (to-wit: **TubaDiva** ) do it? > > Or does it need to get sent even further up the programming staff to happen? If so, that would likely be a roadblock right there. We’ve already known for a while that the upper management doesn’t want to invest a whole lot of personpower in operating this board. It is a simple change in the vBulletin admin panel. I think TubaDiva is currently the only Admin for the SDMB. Might take 15 minutes to find without Googling it or 5 Googling, but 5 seconds to change once located. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882/48 "2020-01-14T15:03:15Z")
Moved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion-or-request/844882.md?page=2)