In http://visforvoltage.org/forum-topic/how/145-subscribing-postings-and-getting-notifications-mail#comment-38857 it was made clear there is misunderstanding of why the edit-ability of different posts are the way they are. Let me explain..
It's a policy decision. Not a deficiency in the software. It could be changed in a moment with a permissions setting.
The existing settings are:-
- Forum posts Cannot be edited once posted
- Blog posts Can be edited by the owner once posted
- Book nodes Can be edited by the owner once posted
- Member vehicles Can be edited by the owner once posted
- Events Can be edited by the owner once posted
The above is to the best of my memory. Also moderators can edit any post at any time. Notwithstanding the above policy choices, if you've made a grevious error or otherwise want your forum post changed, just contact us and we can do it for you.
The policy choice was made 2 1/2 yrs ago. To the best of my recollection it's akin to "The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it -- Omar Khayyam".
A discussion forum is that - about discussion. A forum posting is followed by comments that are the discussion. I'm sure you've said things you wish you could unsay, I know I have. But the fact of discussion is that you say something and it hangs there in the air unable to be changed.
The other types of postings are not really about discussion. It makes sense to allow those to be edited multiple times.
When a post has been edited a 'Revisions' tab is available showing the edits made to that post.
Some corrections:
Blog posts can be edited by the blog "owner".
I don't know if blog replies can be edited once someone has relied to the reply.
Forum posts can not be edited, but replies to forum posts can be edited as long as no-one has replied to the reply (or locked the whole thread).
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
Thanks, I corrected the posting above. I don't know if this shows up for non-moderator accounts, but there is a Revisions tab on this post now. Clicking on the Revisions tab shows the edits that have been made. Any edited posting has a Revisions tab.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
So, here is yet another example where the original post, trying to convey "correct" information, should be edited ... for the benefit of all readers?
Maybe we should just move all new postings to "books", where they can be edited?
Maybe that "blind finger" should write again. The accidental misinformation that could be corrected is huge, but any real benefit to the forum readers of the non-editability policy has yet to be explained.
I say, change the policy and you will have a much more useful and usable forum.
Cheers, Gary
XM-5000Li, wired for cell voltage measuring and logging.
Hm, I was under the impression that typical forums don't allow editing of posts. I just checked on a different forum where I made a post in 2006 and that post is editable by me. Hurm...
Doesn't that depend on the kind of posting you want to make and the purpose you have? The reason we have available these different kinds of pages is to support different styles of interaction. The handbooks have a different structure than the forum, because they serve different purposes. Discussion is about what's being discussed NOW, while documentation or reference material or other information needs to be browsable by topic rather than posting date.
One reason we don't have anything resembling a wiki is that some on the moderator team don't trust the chaos of anybody editing anything at any time. A wiki of sorts can be implemented on this site pretty easily, again it's a matter of policy rather than technical matters. Wiki's require constant vigilance by the community who maintains the wiki. I've seen wiki's which aren't well maintained and have crap on them. The reason the wikipedia is so good rests with the community who are actively maintaining it.
- David Herron, http://longtailpipe.com/
This policy was made back when some vigorous discussions were reduced to incoherence by people editing past postings. (You can imagine what a juvenile mind could accomplish by changing a question that has already been answered.) As moderators we not only provide a brake on frivolous editing, but can edit other posts to keep the threads meaningful. For example if someone points out an error that the original poster wants fixed we can edit both posts so the entire thread makes sense.
As I traipse around the net I find our forum a touch more liberal than most. Many of my typos and fits of pique are preserved for all eternity and I cannot attract the attention of the moderators to alter them. On this forum I have only once a request to delete or modify a post when it was made by the author. That person wanted everything they had ever posted taken down. Frankly it would have been way too much work. I would need a salary raise or at least a better title to justify the time.
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
Yes a Wiki can be a pain.
I mean posts editable by the author (and by moderators, when necessary).
Cheers, Gary
XM-5000Li, wired for cell voltage measuring and logging.
Yes, it is usually too much work for the user to fix his post, and way to much work to ask you to do it. Also, it is too much work for you to do hundreds of fixes.
Insert this picture here ... etc.
However, those of us who want to improve the quality an accuracy of the information that we submit, cannot easily do so.
I do not want the duties of a moderator, but maybe there could be a class of "senior" (or "trusted", or "not-juvenile") user that can edit their own posts?
That might help improve your forum?
The biggest single edit-place would be the first (creation) post of a Topic. The creator could keep a summary of the results, with links to important replies.
That would be better than having to read through hundreds and hundreds of posts.
In any case, if the "unruly juvenile" is the fear, is that a good basis for this rule? I am active in the ApteraForum and they seem to have very few changes, but the author can change his own stuff anytime.
I have used it well to keep the first post of the most popular "sticky" (Reservation Graph) almost up to date.
In any case, an idea.
Thanks.
Cheers, Gary
XM-5000Li, wired for cell voltage measuring and logging.
I have a problem.
I posted a pdf file on the forum. As an attachment to the message. The file is confidential.
I can not edit the post. To delete the file.
How can I delete the file?
The ability to edit forum posts is a game-changer! It allows users to refine their thoughts, correct errors, and improve clarity. This ensures that the information shared remains accurate and valuable to the community. Plus, it fosters a more respectful and constructive discussion environment. What are your thoughts on setting a time limit for edits to maintain the integrity of the conversation flow?