# Why can't you edit your posts? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 23, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474 "2002-07-23T23:49:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Billy-Bob\_Fina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@Billy-Bob\_Fina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy-Bob_Fina)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/1 "2002-07-23T23:49:26Z")
That… and why can’t you choose an avatar? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/2 "2002-07-23T23:57:01Z")
To answer #2 first, this is a very heavily used site – so much so that many times the server is unable to keep up with the load placed on it by the several thousand users. To minimize unnecessary load, many of the options available to vBB 2.x have been disabled by the administrators. Avatars (which I agree are fun) are among them. Posts cannot be edited by members because very early in the board’s existence people abused the privilege by saying something outrageous, waiting until others reacted in anger, and then editing out the outrageous part, leaving an apparent hostility-over-nothing on the part of those who reacted. Those of us who use the board regularly have evolved the custom of rereading our post carefully, previewing if there is potential for miscoding, and then posting. Any moderator or administrator can edit your post and will do so on request if it’s something critical, like a series of quote codes not closed that end up mashing the entire last half of your post into a one-inch column on the extreme right of the screen. It is not customary (and I think most moderators would feel it a burden on them) to request an edit because you forgot to add a sentence in your second paragraph, or misspelled hamster. ---
**Author:** ![Billy-Bob\_Fina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@Billy-Bob\_Fina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy-Bob_Fina)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/3 "2002-07-24T00:01:02Z")
I understand now. Tanks. ---
**Author:** ![Billy-Bob\_Fina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@Billy-Bob\_Fina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy-Bob_Fina)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/4 "2002-07-24T00:03:12Z")
I wish I could edit that. Thanks.😉 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/5 "2002-07-24T02:13:28Z")
As Polycarp said, mods and admins will be happy to edit posts for you, generally speaking, if you email them. However, editing does put extra load on the server. Regular use of the “PREVIEW” function will help you catch lots of typos, etc. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/6 "2002-07-25T23:56:03Z")
Also, you can write your posts in a different program, and copy them over here. I don’t usually do that myself, unless I’m writing something long, but it is an option. ---
**Author:** ![107.7\_the\_Bone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@107.7\_the\_Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/107.7_the_Bone)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/7 "2002-07-27T22:16:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*However, editing does put extra load on the server. > > Regular use of the “PREVIEW” function will help you catch lots of typos, etc. \*\* Seems to me that introduces as much overhead as editing. I think the actual reason is that, as Polycarp said, the old software didn’t signal you that edits had been made. Now, however, there would be an “_Last edited by… on …_” to notify people of the change. If I understand the new software correctly, it lets the administration set two time periods. One for how long after a post you can change it without getting the “”\*Last edited \*" message at all, and a second time period after which no edits are allowed. Other boards set these figures at varying amounts, but typical might be Edit without comment for 10 minutes, and no editing after an hour or a day. This approach reflects the sophistication of board software in general, and gives users the best features. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/8 "2002-07-28T00:53:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Seems to me that introduces as much overhead as editing _Preview/Post_ would only entail two server hits, whereas _Post/Edit/Submit_ is three. ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/9 "2002-07-28T15:46:58Z")
Why can’t we just get rid of the initial **Subnit reply/new thread** button, leavingonly the preview one, and have the submit thread/reply on the preview page only? ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/10 "2002-07-28T15:48:21Z")
Proof of why we should. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/11 "2002-07-28T16:35:37Z")
Not all posts are worth previewing. It’s much easier to proofread as you go. IMO, Preview should only be used to make sure that your coding is correct–spelling mistakes and grammatical goofups can be caught just as well in the reply box as on the Preview page. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/12 "2002-07-29T23:54:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*_Preview/Post_ would only entail two server hits, whereas _Post/Edit/Submit_ is three. \*\* Thank you to whoever it was that was kind enough to send me an abusive email pointing out the error in my statement above, which I now retract; there would indeed be a greater burden on the server if every post was previewed (every post x 2 hits) vs a handful of posts being edited (a few posts x 3 hits plus the rest x 1 hit). ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-you-edit-your-posts/120474/13 "2002-07-30T00:29:25Z")
Mangetout - I am sorry to hear that you were the victim of one of the trolls that periodically (and idiotically) infest the SDMB. If you want to forward the e-mail to a staff member we can investigate the issue.