# Why Can't We Edit Our Own Posts Here? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 26, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413 "2003-06-26T01:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/21 "2003-06-26T12:31:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah, aside for the ability of people to be shitheads, how much worse would the board be speed wise if this was turned on For what it’s worth, I frequent one other forum and that one does have an edit function and it always runs fast. Granted it’s nowhere near as big as this one but with about 3,000 members it’s still pretty big. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/22 "2003-06-26T12:38:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ben Hicks \* > \*\*For what it’s worth, I frequent one other forum and that one does have an edit function and it always runs fast. Granted it’s nowhere near as big as this one but with about 3,000 members it’s still pretty big. \*\* The reason I ask is when they have turned on new features here in the past, the board crawled to a halt until said “feature” was turned back off. I would rather deal with typos. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/23 "2003-06-26T12:41:23Z")
What’s so embarrassing about a misspeled word? If it’s that important, post a retraction. If it’s not - and it shouldn’t be - then don’t. People here don’t get that worked up about it as long as your message is clear. That is, unless you yourself get worked up over it first. Then they get worked up over you getting worked up over something that shouldn’t have been worked up over and down before. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/24 "2003-06-26T23:31:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Oy Vey \* > \*\*You can set a time limit on editing posts with vBulliten… several boards I frequent have a 15 to 30 minute time limit. I know preview is your friend, but its easy to hit the wrong button. I’d say 5 minutes to correct typos is fair. \*\* I agree. I post on several s, and they almost all do this- and civilization hasn’t come crashing to an end yet.:rolleyes: Besides- it is not always just an incorrect spelling- which I can live with. I just did it myself. I posted a line which meant the EXACT opposite of what I wanted it to say, and thus had to make another post after it, to correct it. So- someone posts with a lie or wrong info. You call them on it, and they edit their post. Big fucken deal. If it really makes such a big deal for you to show how wrong, WRONG, WRONG they were (and boy is that petty), then just quote that portion of their post in your message. Their editing won’t change that. Problem (and to me it is a “who cares”) solved. ---
**Author:** ![Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercury)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/25 "2003-06-26T23:43:00Z")
I understand the editing thing, but I gotta hijack a little. Why is the fake post thing like **Enderw24** did wrong or confusing? Why are we not allowed to do that? Just to be clear, I have no desire to do it, I’m just curious. (Though I did get a big chuckle out of it.) ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/26 "2003-06-27T00:03:18Z")
Because only a select few Mods have that ability, and seeing a line like that might lead one of them to believe that perhaps an error was made, and that the “edit” function had ben enabled. Which leads the mods on a wild goose chase to double check permissions and make sure nothing is astray. In other words, it’s not an “evil, vicious” type of bad, it’s just a “that wastes our time, please don’t do that” type of bad. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/27 "2003-06-27T00:33:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrDeth \* > \*\*I agree. I post on several s, and they almost all do this- and civilization hasn’t come crashing to an end yet.:rolleyes: > > Besides- it is not always just an incorrect spelling- which I can live with. I just did it myself. I posted a line which meant the EXACT opposite of what I wanted it to say, and thus had to make another post after it, to correct it. > > So- someone posts with a lie or wrong info. You call them on it, and they edit their post. Big fucken deal. If it really makes such a big deal for you to show how wrong, WRONG, WRONG they were (and boy is that petty), then just quote that portion of their post in your message. Their editing won’t change that. Problem (and to me it is a “who cares”) solved. \*\* Right, except the person will say you intentionally misquoted him or her to make them look wrong. And now you have no proof whatsoever that the person said what they said, all because they had the ability to edit their post. That might not be essential on some boards, but on one on which many debates take place, it’s crucial. Without your post acting as the reference or authority of you said, no real or honest debate could be had. This place would quickly degenerate into nothing more than a name-calling nirvana. ---
**Author:** ![Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercury)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/28 "2003-06-27T01:01:56Z")
Ohhh, I see. Thanks, **Doc Nickel**! ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/29 "2003-06-27T14:16:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mercury \* > \*\*I understand the editing thing, but I gotta hijack a little. > > Why is the fake post thing like **Enderw24** did wrong or confusing? Why are we not allowed to do that? > > Just to be clear, I have no desire to do it, I’m just curious. (Though I did get a big chuckle out of it.) \*\* There was a thread in which we all started to play with this- making the most realistic “fake” edited by tags. It was harmless fun, but eventually the Mods came and said “very clever, but enoughs enough- no more”. Thus did we stop with the fake “edited by tags” ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/30 "2003-06-27T15:58:20Z")
The thing is, if you had 5 minutes to edit your post after submission, you’d notice the typo 6 minutes afterwards. If it is absolutely critical, ask a mod to change it. If not, don’t worry. But we (and by “we” I mean “they”) already allow people to preview. So if you want to personally simulate a 5 minute editing grace period, simply click “preview reply” at the bottom of the page, wait 4 minutes, then re-read your post and make any corrections. At the five minute mark, submit. That gives exactly the same functionality as a 5 minute edit window, without creating any moderator or server headaches. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/31 "2003-06-27T18:29:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*Right, except the person will say you intentionally misquoted him or her to make them look wrong. And now you have no proof whatsoever that the person said what they said, all because they had the ability to edit their post. > > That might not be essential on some boards, but on one on which many debates take place, it’s crucial. Without your post acting as the reference or authority of you said, no real or honest debate could be had. This place would quickly degenerate into nothing more than a name-calling nirvana. \*\* So? Let us assume that I posted a line that said “SCOTUS is so conservative that they will never overturn the Texas sodomy law”, and you disagreed, and quoted me. Later, SCOTUS did overturn the Texas law, and so I went in and edited my post. Since you and several others had read my post and quoted it, and my old post would show clearly when I edited- it would be obvious what happened. (And there’s the proof, bsieds, there are rules against misquoting dudes, so if they said you misquoted them, and a Mod said" No he didn’t" there ya go). And even if you say it wasn’t obvious- you just “won” anyway, so what’s the point? From what I see, no one here ever says “OK, you win, I was wrong”- so even having proof of what they said isn’t going to change their mind anyway, is it? Or others? Do dudes often come into threads with one opinion, then say: “Wow Dude- your master refutation of his post completely changed my mind- you rule!” :rolleyes: Next refutation- even on 's I have been on with just as serious debates, with flames & all- the ability to edit (within a short time) has not caused them to “degenerate into a name calling nirvana” (are you sure you are using that last word correctly?). Finally- even if so- and I have just shown it won’t be so- the ability to edit for a big goddamn five fuckin minutes is not going to affect this at all. If someone really posted something stupid, do you really think many could jump on him in five minutes before he edited it away? And if someone did discover that fast they posted something stupid- well then, they should get a chance to re-do it. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/32 "2003-06-27T18:48:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrDeth \* > \*\*So? Let us assume that I posted a line that said “SCOTUS is so conservative that they will never overturn the Texas sodomy law”, and you disagreed, and quoted me. Later, SCOTUS did overturn the Texas law, and so I went in and edited my post. Since you and several others had read my post and quoted it, and my old post would show clearly when I edited- it would be obvious what happened. (And there’s the proof, bsieds, there are rules against misquoting dudes, so if they said you misquoted them, and a Mod said" No he didn’t" there ya go). And even if you say it wasn’t obvious- you just “won” anyway, so what’s the point? From what I see, no one here ever says “OK, you win, I was wrong”- so even having proof of what they said isn’t going to change their mind anyway, is it? Or others? Do dudes often come into threads with one opinion, then say: “Wow Dude- your master refutation of his post completely changed my mind- you rule!” :rolleyes: The point is, the posts act as the authority of what you said. If we all were able to edit our posts, then it would merely come down to someone’s word against someone else’s. The specific situation you’ve described is not a problem in and of itself, because it can be compared with a specific real-life event. But since you can’t limit post editing to posts that pertain only to real-life events (i.e. those that can be verified outside of someone’s text), then it stands to reason that people will use it time and time again to change their own positions in a debate. Quite frankly, that’s pretty contemptible. > [@](#): > > Next refutation- even on 's I have been on with just as serious debates, with flames & all- the ability to edit (within a short time) has not caused them to “degenerate into a name calling nirvana” (are you sure you are using that last word correctly?). Yes, I am. It’s heaven for some people, because they know they can say whatever they want whenever they want, without any one to tell them not to do so. There are few, if any, rules in LiveJournals. They can say Point A, make a big stink about how Point A is completely, unequivocally correct, and then it is brought to their attention that Point A is quite wrong, they can go back and make it look like they meant Point B all along. No, I’m sorry; that makes for a poor debate, and LiveJournal’s not known for its debates, anyway. In that sense, it’s not fair to compare here with there, as they serve distinct purposes. > [@](#): > > Finally- even if so- and I have just shown it won’t be so- the ability to edit for a big goddamn five fuckin minutes is not going to affect this at all. If someone really posted something stupid, do you really think many could jump on him in five minutes before he edited it away? And if someone did discover that fast they posted something stupid- well then, they should get a chance to re-do it. Your tone suggests you’re taking this very seriously. I commend you for your dedication, but perhaps your profanities aren’t quite appropriate here. You miss the point, I think, when you talk about how people will jump on another if they post something stupid. That is not quite the issue, since they do that now. If editing were permitted, the one posting the dumb thing in the first place would have a leg to stand on, because his post wouldn’t reflect the original dumb remark. Sure, it would have a time/date stamp on it, but all that proves is that he edited it - it does not show what he edited it from. In this case, those who had jumped on the original comment look dumb, not the first poster. “Oh ho,” you might say. “But they’re quoting him, so that original comment lives on!” But there’s no way of knowing that what they’re quoting is wholly accurate. That’s been a problem here in the past (and it’s a bannable offense now), and editing isn’t even allowed here. People were intentionally misquoting others. The point here, then, is that the only way to know for sure that what a person has is wholly accurate is to disabled post editing. You can’t go by other posts that quote the original, for they may be wrong, too. You can’t go by the time stamp, because it doesn’t give you what was altered, just when. In short, it’s a bad idea that opens up a lot of potential for abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/33 "2003-06-27T18:49:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mercury \* > \*\*I understand the editing thing, but I gotta hijack a little. > > Why is the fake post thing like **Enderw24** did wrong or confusing? Why are we not allowed to do that? > > Just to be clear, I have no desire to do it, I’m just curious. (Though I did get a big chuckle out of it.) \*\* In addition to the above reasons, it’s kind of like telling your kid brother he’s adopted. Some people are going to be gullible enough to believe it (and, really, given that other boards allow it, it wouldn’t take much gullibility), so people would get confused and jealous about what they perceived as an “inner circle” kind of ability, even if originally presented as a joke. Feelings would get hurt, then there’d be the yelling and finger-poking and next thing you know, somebody’s missing an eye. :smack: Like that. ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/34 "2003-06-27T18:50:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elf6c \* > \*\*Besides my frequent typos are charming. > > Right? \*\* Your typos are both charming and ndeering, um endearring, er, endearing 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/35 "2003-06-27T19:19:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrDeth \* > \*\*So? > > Next refutation- even on 's I have been on with just as serious debates, with flames & all- the ability to edit (within a short time) has not caused them to “degenerate into a name calling nirvana” (are you sure you are using that last word correctly?). > > Finally- even if so- and I have just shown it won’t be so…\*\* You are free, if you choose, to bang you head against a concrete wall over and over again. But all you’ll do is hurt your head – the wall ain’t gonna come crashing down. The administration of this website has discussed this. At length. We are not going to allow members to edit their posts. We are not going to change this decision. We are not going to spend tons of time re-explaining or justifying our decision every time it comes up. To be clear, we are not going to allow members to edit their posts. Bang away. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/36 "2003-06-27T22:31:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*The point is, the posts act as the authority of what you said. If we all were able to edit our posts, then it would merely come down to someone’s word against someone else’s. . But since you can’t limit post editing to posts that pertain only to real-life events , then it stands to reason that people will use it time and time again to change their own positions in a debate. > Your tone suggests you’re taking this very seriously. I commend you for your dedication, but perhaps your profanities aren’t quite appropriate here. > > In short, it’s a bad idea that opens up a lot of potential for abuse. \*\* Give me an example. Point to me a specific post where if the poster edited his post- the world would end- or even the . 😃 Bsieds, I note you kinda skipped out on that whole “5 minutes” thing. Again, if someone post something really stupid, then it is not likely an entire thread will be be built on that cornerstone of one malapropism in 5 minutes. I doubt if there would even be one reply. Now, I wil concede that it COULD happen if dudes were given days & days to edit- but 5 minutes? “… perhaps your profanities aren’t quite appropriate here”? My Dear dan- I fail to note that all-so-small-but-important-word next to your name “moderator”. Next, I suggest you check where it is we are posting (hintbbq pit ). Master Manhattan- well yes- but our debating and arguing a SCOTUS dec isn’t going to change their minds either, is it? So- GD has no use? Besides- are you really telling us if the great majority of users wanted that function, you’d ignore what they wanted, and not re-consider? I know we are hardly a Democracy, but our voice has got to count for something you know. However, I do thank you for your reply. Do we have a link to somewhere this has been explained at length? I am willing to be convinced. Now- if there is some technical reason- well then, explain it. But if the only reason is so that someone can pounce on some naifs malapropism within 5 minutes and make a fool out of him, that hardly sounds mature. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/37 "2003-06-27T22:53:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrDeth \* > \*\*Give me an example. Point to me a specific post where if the poster edited his post- the world would end- or even the . 😃 > \*\* You win. You are on to my evil plan to make sure no one ever edits anything. I was hoping people would think the world would indeed end if they did so. But alas and alack! You’ve caught on. You’re right. The world won’t end. Edit away. > [@](#): > > Bsieds, I note you kinda skipped out on that whole “5 minutes” thing. Again, if someone post something really stupid, then it is not likely an entire thread will be be built on that cornerstone of one malapropism in 5 minutes. I doubt if there would even be one reply. Now, I wil concede that it COULD happen if dudes were given days & days to edit- but 5 minutes? I didn’t skip out on it. The issue was addressed. You can give yourself a 5-minute editing window simply by clicking Preview Post. You can then check for spelling and malapropisms all you want. Even faulty sentence structure or an unintended insult or two. As was said earlier, if something is so heinous in your post that you feel that to leave it makes you look worse than you wish to look, you can either ask a moderator to edit it or you can post your own correction. For spelling errors, no one really cares - unless the new word differs in meaning from your original word, in which case you correct it in the next post. For content, you’ll need to post again to clarify if you feel you were unclear or if you simply misstated yourself: “The previous post might not be clear. What I mean is …” Moderators won’t fix your spelling usually (it’s too mundane and time consuming) and won’t alter your content (that’s your responsibility). They will fix links if asked nicely. > [@](#): > > “… perhaps your profanities aren’t quite appropriate here”? My Dear dan- I fail to note that all-so-small-but-important-word next to your name “moderator”. Next, I suggest you check where it is we are posting (hintbbq pit ). You know something? The more you insult, the more belligerent, the less I’m inclined to explain why the board is the way it is. I never said I was a moderator, so quit being so defensive. You lessen your argument considerably when you lob jibes. You’re right about one thing, though. Since this was (until you began posting, more or less) a civil discussion about the message board, I thought we were in ATMB. I see we’re not. So go ahead and act as assy as you want to. When you’re ready to grow up and discuss this with adults, please let us all know. [/quote] > [@](#): > > I am willing to be convinced. I sense no willingness whatsoever. People have posted in this thread several times reasons why editing your own post on this particular message board would be a bad idea. You are not willing to be convinced. You’ve made up your mind. ---
**Author:** ![Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercury)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/38 "2003-06-28T00:32:13Z")
Hehe, I’m going to have to search for that thread. Yeah, I know people would be gullible enough to believe it. Heck, for a few minutes, I was. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/39 "2003-06-28T01:14:08Z")
Because if we _could_ edit our posts, there’d be nothing stopping us from doing this. > [@](#): > > \*Not really posted by DrDeth \* > **Now- if there is some technical reason- well then, explain it. But if the only reason is so that someone can pounce on some naifs malapropism within 5 minutes and make a fool out of him, that hardly sounds mature. Not that mature is always a good thing, because I really enjoy having sex with baby harp seals. Mmm, that’s some good lovin’.** If your post above had an “edited by” tag, anybody who followed could do what I did above, and there’s be no way for you to _disprove_ it. It’s better this way. **manhattan** is absolutely correct. Turning on post editing would make the Baby Jesus cry. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413/40 "2003-06-29T06:52:13Z")
Hi, sorry, I completely forgot about this thread. While I wasn’t the OP, a few did respond to me. **Q.E.D.** I timed it so it would be later. According to the time stamp on my computer, my “edit” is six minutes into the future. **DrMatrix** , I apologize. It won’t happen from me again. **John Carter of Mars** I checked and checked and checked that thing before submitting. How in the world did the entirely wrong month slip by? Man, I’m an idiot. Mods…can I edit that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit-our-own-posts-here/184413.md?page=3)