# Do charter members get a longer edit window? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 3, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303 "2015-12-03T11:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/1 "2015-12-03T11:12:34Z")
The 5 minute edit window is annoying. I hate re-reading a post later and noticing I’ve made a few typos, where I can’t fix it because it’s been 5 minutes. So I wonder, the 5 minute window, something many message boards don’t have, is to prevent forms of trollery where a user edits their post to make it look like people replying to that post are idiots. At least, I assume that’s why it is a rule. Perhaps members who have paid up could be relieved of this limitation or get a longer window, since if they troll, they have something to lose if punished or banned? My other thought is that I just want to fix typos. It would be nice if you could edit after the 5 minute limit but it was restricted to 20 characters or 5% of the message length, whichever is smaller. Maybe this message board software doesn’t support that kind of policy. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/2 "2015-12-03T11:19:51Z")
Charter members currently get 5 minutes, just like everyone else. If a typo really bothers you and the 5 minute window has expired, report the post. We can fix the typo for you. (ETA - this includes typos in the thread title) The most common recommendation in this situation is to compose the post in a text editor or word processor, preferably one that has a spell checker. Then once you have the post to your liking, copy and paste it into your new SDMB post. > [@Habeed](#): > > It would be nice if you could edit after the 5 minute limit but it was restricted to 20 characters or 5% of the message length, whichever is smaller. Maybe this message board software doesn’t support that kind of policy. The software doesn’t support things like this. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/3 "2015-12-03T12:22:55Z")
It’s not just trollery. I’ve seen threads on other message boards fall apart into complete nonsense because of the thread-starter editing the OP to “clarify” it every so often, leading to all of the posts before any given clarification referring to things that weren’t there. No ill will was intended, but it still ended up as a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/4 "2015-12-03T16:20:22Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > The most common recommendation in this situation is to compose the post in a text editor or word processor, preferably one that has a spell checker. Or one can compose their post in the reply box and then re-read what they wrote to catch typos before they hit the submit button. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/5 "2015-12-03T16:30:23Z")
Some of the best SDMB in-jokes have come from typos (“Gotcha ya!”; “Penis ensues”). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/6 "2015-12-03T16:34:06Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Or one can compose their post in the reply box and then re-read what they wrote to catch typos before they hit the submit button. Or one can do that, then hit “Delete” when they discover their post is a bunch of garbage. More people should follow this path, yours truly included. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/7 "2015-12-03T16:37:50Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Or one can compose their post in the reply box and then re-read what they wrote to catch typos before they hit the submit button. I can re-read my post twice and still miss typos. Somehow they become more apparent in the posted text. It’s like creating a document and only seeing errors after it’s printed on a hard copy. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/8 "2015-12-03T16:43:24Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I can re-read my post twice and still miss typos. Somehow they become more apparent in the posted text. Agreed, I always preview, several times and on long posts I’ll fix multiple errors and re-preview each time. But, then, nearly every time, once I hit Submit Reply, it’s a race against the clock to see how many times I can edit/submit before the time runs out. It’s like the software adds in typos and makes my post more confusing. I swear I must edit my longer posts 3 or 4 times (after hitting Reply). ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/9 "2015-12-03T17:24:04Z")
In real life … [ul] [li]You cannot pull back your spoken words.[/li][li]You cannot unring a bell.[/li][/ul] The five-minuted edit window is a golden opportunity. As stated previously, write/edit someplace else then paste your final comments here. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/10 "2015-12-03T18:29:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s not just trollery. I’ve seen threads on other message boards fall apart into complete nonsense because of the thread-starter editing the OP to “clarify” it every so often, leading to all of the posts before any given clarification referring to things that weren’t there. No ill will was intended, but it still ended up as a mess. Exactly. It’s hard to have a conversation when what was said previously can change. There’s also the problem of people quoting text that ends up being changed subsequently. The five-minute edit window was selected to try to give a balance between allowing people some time to fix mistakes in their post, while also giving the conversation some permanence. The longer an edit window that’s allowed, the greater the possibility for confusion. But when all is said and done, it’s only a message board post. Typos shouldn’t be a big deal unless they radically change the meaning of a post. And even if they are, and you miss the edit window, you can post a clarification subsequently. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/11 "2015-12-03T22:54:57Z")
**Do charter members get a longer edit window?** We were offered the option, but most of us chose the hookers and blow instead. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/12 "2015-12-03T23:22:23Z")
I chose the option of +10 uplift on my charm score. I know what you’re thinking, but actually before the uplift I was even worse. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/13 "2015-12-04T00:09:39Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I can re-read my post twice and still miss typos. Somehow they become more apparent in the posted text. > > … And, I swear, the errors weren’t there until it got posted. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/14 "2015-12-04T00:44:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s not just trollery. **I’ve seen threads on other message boards fall apart into complete nonsense** because of the thread-starter editing the OP to “clarify” it every so often, leading to all of the posts before any given clarification referring to things that weren’t there. **No ill will was intended, but it still ended up as a mess.** All of which, we can still do perfectly well on this board, even _without_ anybody editing anything. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/15 "2015-12-04T02:50:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Do charter members get a longer edit window? No. We simply get the privilege and honor of polishing the jackboots of the Mods…if we are really, really good. Plus I think we get an honorary viking funeral when we shuffle off…the Mods basically put us in a boat made of pop-sickle sticks, pour lighter fluid on our mortal remains then hum the theme to Star Wars together (which I understand has to be heard to be believed :eek:) as one of them kicks the boat out into a convenient body of water (with their polished jack boots). Some say the vast sums we pay to be Charter Members aren’t worth it, but personally I’d like to see where you can get this sort of value anywhere else!! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/16 "2015-12-04T03:44:23Z")
At some point you guys are going to figure out that the SMDB has a built-in random typo generator. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/17 "2015-12-04T15:32:32Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Some of the best SDMB in-jokes have come from typos (“Gotcha ya!”; “Penis ensues”). Not to mention Og. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/18 "2015-12-05T08:51:32Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I can re-read my post twice and still miss typos. Somehow they become more apparent in the posted text. > > It’s like creating a document and only seeing errors after it’s printed on a hard copy. Couldn’t agree more. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-members-get-a-longer-edit-window/739303/19 "2015-12-05T15:02:43Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I can re-read my post twice and still miss typos. Somehow they become more apparent in the posted text. > > It’s like creating a document and only seeing errors after it’s printed on a hard copy. > [@Cicero](#): > > Couldn’t agree more. I suspect it is because we (“we”), in our rest-of-five-allotted-minutes, are still thinking _about_ what we wrote, and how we wrote it, because we dashed it off under so much pressure, just to be sure our point is across (we think). It is impossible to read/edit for sense and proofread in the same pass. Gets you every time. Also, long ago I realized that proofreading off a monitor was a lost cause.