# Can't edit my own posts
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-edit-my-own-posts/97240
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 6, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-edit-my-own-posts/97240 "2001-12-06T15:50:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-edit-my-own-posts/97240/1 "2001-12-06T15:50:51Z")
Why can I not edit my own posts? If I can post, I should be able to edit… Right? Every time I try to edit, I have to enter my userid and password, but I cannot get to the edit. Only to enter my userid and password again. What is happening here?
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-edit-my-own-posts/97240/2 "2001-12-06T15:57:14Z")
If you post something, and then someone responds, and then you change what you originally wrote, their response may suddenly look silly or stupid or just not make sense. To prevent this, you cannot edit your own posts, even to correct spelling errors.
But you **can** ask a moderator to make the change for you.
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### Author:  [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-edit-my-own-posts/97240/3 "2001-12-06T16:00:16Z")
And welcome to the Straight Dope, **robcaro**. Settle in, look around and have fun, it’s a great place.
As for your question, at the top of the page you type you post into, and at the bottom of most of the other pages, you see this:
> [@](#):
>
> Who Can Read The Forum? Any registered user or guest.
> Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered user.
> Who Can Post Replies? Any registered user.
> Changes: Messages CANNOT be edited by their author. Messages CANNOT be deleted by their author.
> Posts: HTML code is Off. Smilies are On. vB code is On. [IMG] code is Off.
Note the 4th line. Editing your own posts is an option with this software that the mods have chosen to turn off.
Also note the formum descriptions on the main page. This post should probably have been in the “About this message board” forum. Keeping your posts in the appropriate formum makes things easier for everyone in a busy board like this one.
Again, welcome and have fun!
Ugly
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### Author:  [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2001, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-edit-my-own-posts/97240/4 "2001-12-06T16:10:15Z")
This question should have been asked in ATMB, with [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=102866) thread.
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### Author:  [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-edit-my-own-posts/97240/5 "2001-12-06T16:57:10Z")
This question belongs in the About This Message Board forum. Since there is already a thread on the subject there (link provided by **imthjckaz** ), I’m closing this thread rather than move it.
**DrMatrix** - General Questions Moderator