[enahs]

I think the ability for basic users to edit/modify should not be allowed after a certain time or X number of responses to the post.

For instance, in the high school forum there are 100 replies to the proving an acid is dibasic thread, and then the original poster deleted he question.

Or I see questions asked all the time, and people get feed back, but go back and fix the original post. Making the response and post no-longer beneficial for anybody else, as they can not see the 'history' of the problems, wrong assumptions /calculations, etc etc.

Plus, it makes us people helping look like idiots, too!

[DrCMS]

I fully agree with this suggestion. 

I think once a post has a reply it should not be possible to edit it anymore. 

I've only ever used edit to correct a daft error/typo I've spotted straight away.  Or when Borek asked me to tone down a response to somebody else who had changed one of his posts and deleted others to correct the errors I'd pointed out he'd made.

[sjb]

Another vote in favour.

I raised a similar point at http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=24066.0 . Course, I think it might need a bit of head scratching and programming behind the scenes, and I don't know how easy it would be.

You could always argue that we don't have to help at all, but that's not why some of us are here.

Could something be added to "the forum rules" ( http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=57.0 or similar ), mind I'm not sure how many people really read these things?

S

[Borek]

Maximum time after posting to allow edit set to 15 minutes.

I don't know if we can block removing threads by their originators. If I'll not forget, I'll look into that later.

[macman104]

Maximum time after posting to allow edit set to 15 minutes.

I don't know if we can block removing threads by their originators. If I'll not forget, I'll look into that later.

15 minutes?  That seems awfully short.  I definitely think it's something to look into, I'm just not sure the best way to approach it...

Also, I do know that at least on phpBB thread creator's cannot delete threads completely unless no one has replied.  I'm not sure how that translates to these forums though.  Just bringing up that I know it's possible on other forums...

[Borek]

Maximum time after posting to allow edit set to 15 minutes.

I don't know if we can block removing threads by their originators. If I'll not forget, I'll look into that later.

15 minutes?  That seems awfully short.  I definitely think it's something to look into, I'm just not sure the best way to approach it...

It can be more. It was just the first number that came to mind.

Also, I do know that at least on phpBB thread creator's cannot delete threads completely unless no one has replied.  I'm not sure how that translates to these forums though.  Just bringing up that I know it's possible on other forums...

Mitch, are you there?

[hmx9123]

While I agree, it is annoying to have someone delete their original post, making nonsense out of the thread, I believe that is why those that reply should quote the text.  The original poster cannot undo someone else's quote of their original post.

I think that 15 minutes is way too short.  It needs to be at least until a reply is sent, or perhaps not at all.  Posters can correct their spelling, edit out things that shouldn't have been there (like bomb instructions) or delete personal information that they didn't realize was detrimental to their privacy.  Otherwise, they're going to ask us to do that for them.

All this being said, I assume that administrators and moderators can still edit all the time?

[Borek]

I believe that is why those that reply should quote the text.  The original poster cannot undo someone else's quote of their original post.

Yes. But it sometimes mean you have to quote everything.

I think that 15 minutes is way too short.

No problem to change it - you can do it just like I did Besides, I have changed it to 30 minutes just now.

It needs to be at least until a reply is sent

That'll be the best, I am not sure it is possible in SMF. At least I can't find it in options.

All this being said, I assume that administrators and moderators can still edit all the time?

No idea about moderators, admin can.

[Yggdrasil]

No idea about moderators, admin can.

Moderators can edit after the 30min period.

[billnotgatez]

For post done long in the past, what I have done is to use strike through and added changes.

On occasion and almost immediately after a post I have noticed something wrong and completely change what was written.

I intend to resurrect old posts from other people and add new entries that answer the question if it was not answered originally. Of course I will wait until well after so it can not be used by lazy people who want a way out of doing their own work.


Could it be a solution that you only allow strike through and no deletion after 30 minutes?

[Borek]

For post done long in the past, what I have done is to use strike through and added changes.

Trick is, you understand why you should not modify your posts. Others don't. Some even deliberately modify old posts so that nobody sees they wrote something stupid.

Could it be a solution that you only allow strike through and no deletion after 30 minutes?

Hard to implement, at the moment we are just using what is built in into SMF.

[Yggdrasil]

I like the system as it currently is with no editing of a post after 30 min.  No editing after the first reply would be better, but since there is no existing code for this, I'm fine with our current solution.