# Time Limits on Adding Edits...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [August 11, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992 "2010-08-11T22:43:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/1 "2010-08-11T22:43:23Z")
I just had a weird experience adding an edit. I got the message saying I must wait 5 minutes. So I waiting a couple of minutes. I was watching the clock, so I know it was at least 5 minutes from the last post I added. Only, I still got the message! Apparently, the clock started running from my last **ATTEMPT** at a post–not the last actual “successful” one.
Is this true? It seems rather unfair–or at least confusing. Anyways, this is partly a test post to make sure that is what it is, and not a clitch with my computer or the boards.
Weird.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/2 "2010-08-11T23:27:34Z")
I don’t understand the question – you can only edit a post during a period of up to (i.e., less than) five minutes after hitting “submit.” I am not aware of any setting in the Board software that would tell you to wait \*more \*than five minutes.
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### Author:  [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/3 "2010-08-11T23:32:54Z")
> [@twickster](#):
>
> I don’t understand the question – you can only edit a post during a period of up to (i.e., less than) five minutes after hitting “submit.” I am not aware of any setting in the Board software that would tell you to wait \*more \*than five minutes.
You know, actually I may have “wooshed” myself in this one. Yeah, I think the time had expired. I just remembered, you only get 5 minutes **maximum**. Anyways, at least it isn’t a total loss. This test post shows it isn’t a problem with my computer or the boards.
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### Author:  [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/4 "2010-08-11T23:39:49Z")
Actually though, I did have the “Edit” window, and it still didn’t let me post it–which does seem rather odd. I may have pushed the wrong button or something too, which may have had something to do with it.
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### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/5 "2010-08-11T23:45:31Z")
If the page isn’t refreshed the edit button remains, and when you click it you get the edit window, but upon hitting submit, get the time expired message. I know this… trust me… you think you sneaked it in under the wire, but no…
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/6 "2010-08-12T00:15:37Z")
While I understand why the edit button doesn’t go away, I do question why it still works if you can’t edit.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/7 "2010-08-12T00:28:51Z")
It doesn’t work, that was what the problem was.
If you hit edit before the five minutes is up, you can get back to the post and work on it – but if you don’t hit submit _from that screen_ before the five minutes is up, the edit won’t take. That’s apparently what happened to the OP.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/8 "2010-08-12T00:29:34Z")
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/9 "2010-08-12T00:30:31Z")
No, if you click the edit button after the time is up, you will still be given the ability to edit your post, and will not find out that it did not work until you try to submit. Or, at least, that is what has happened to me.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/10 "2010-08-12T00:30:59Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> While I understand why the edit button doesn’t go away, I do question why it still works if you can’t edit.
The edit button only shows up if you have time to press it before the time limit to edit posts has expired.
After that it goes away.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/11 "2010-08-12T00:51:55Z")
Or to be more precise: the edit button only shows up if the page was displayed before the time limit to edit posts has expired. (Obviously if you leave the same page sitting there for two days, without refreshing it, then the edit button will still be there. But if you refresh the page the edit button will go away.)
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### Author:  [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/12 "2010-08-12T01:22:59Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#):
>
> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
It may be a little off-topic (but hey, you’re the one who posted it;)). But I just have to know, what on earth does it translate to? I tried [Intertran](http://www.tranexp.com:2000/Translate/result.shtml). But all I got was:
> [@](#):
>
> Lorem itself pain he is amet consectetur adipisicing elit , but to give her transitory incididunt when to sink and pain magna some. When in fact to in the least degree grace , anyone our work at ullamco labor if not when some out of this to make fit according to reason. Duis but irure pain upon reprehenderit upon pleasant skirmish to be cillum pain good to flee nulla to pay. To take out sint occaecat cupidatat not proident , are upon fault quae workshop to leave gently breath this is to sink.
Which doesn’t make much sense (and is rather stupid–Intertran doesn’t know what “nulla” means?!).
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/13 "2010-08-12T01:24:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> While I understand why the edit button doesn’t go away, I do question why it still works if you can’t edit.
This is because the time limit for editing is enforced by the server, not your browser, and the way the edit function is implemented, it doesn’t need to contact the server to give you the edit window. It’s not until you hit “save changes” in the edit window that the server has any indication at all that you’re in the process of editing, so that’s when it checks the time and tells you if you’re still allowed to do it.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/14 "2010-08-12T01:27:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> It may be a little off-topic (but hey, you’re the one who posted it). But I just have to know, what on earth does it translate to?
[Cecil knows all](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2290/what-does-the-filler-text-lorem-ipsum-mean). Short version, it’s a corruption of a Latin philosophy passage.
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### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/15 "2010-08-12T03:46:58Z")
Get all the lorem ipsum you need [here](http://www.lipsum.com/).
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut ultrices sagittis mauris, convallis adipiscing turpis sagittis rutrum. Sed neque magna orci aliquam.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/16 "2010-08-12T04:03:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> While I understand why the edit button doesn’t go away, I do question why it still works if you can’t edit.
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> This is because the time limit for editing is enforced by the server, not your browser, and the way the edit function is implemented, it doesn’t need to contact the server to give you the edit window. It’s not until you hit “save changes” in the edit window that the server has any indication at all that you’re in the process of editing, so that’s when it checks the time and tells you if you’re still allowed to do it.
Thanks–that’s the answer I was looking for. Though I’m curious why it is set up that way, rather than first asking the server whether an edit is still possible.
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/17 "2010-08-12T21:40:22Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> Thanks–that’s the answer I was looking for. Though I’m curious why it is set up that way, rather than first asking the server whether an edit is still possible.
Unnecessary traffic. It’s just going to have to check again before it posts, anyway.
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### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-limits-on-adding-edits/549992/18 "2010-08-13T00:09:05Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> No, if you click the edit button after the time is up, you will still be given the ability to edit your post, and will not find out that it did not work until you try to submit. Or, at least, that is what has happened to me.
Exactly.