Edit post timeout

[quantum]

Is there any chance on reviewing the 12 hour edit timeout policy?

There are many instances where I go back to read my post and find silly typos and would like to correct them. However, I think there is a stronger case to be made in some of the more technical discussions where further research / investigation inside the instrument reveals corrections or updated information. It would be very helpful to go back and edit the initial post, so new readers of the thread are brought up to date. Otherwise, a reader may have to go through an entire thread to be brought up to date on the situation. Something as simple as inserting a line like "Jump to post 50 for update" on the initial post could streamline the discussion.

For long threads, it may also open the option for a user to index the thread and create links to important posts, on the first post. I think this would be very helpful for readers that come across a thread looking for a solution a few years down the road. For example:
#1 Into to problem
#3 Photos of PCB, and organ internals
#21 Post by user1 potential solution
#34 Additional problem found
#45 Post by user2 for another solution
#50 List of parts to order
#57 Photos of repair procedure
#62 Final repair report and photos


I can understand the admins not wanting people to abuse the edit feature. A good compromise would be something like an edit limit per day (as opposed to timeout). For example, a maximum of 5-10 edits per day. If a user reaches the limit, they have to wait 24 hours before editing again.

[KC9UDX]

I think you're asking a bit much of the staff... Anything can be done with enough time and effort. But lacking infinite time and effort, the status quo seems to be adequate.

[quantum]

I think in the long term, a change to how the edit limitations are implemented on this forum would only serve to benefit its users and discussion. The effort is worth it.

[Admin]

The edit time out for posts was recently upped from six hours to the current twelve. Many other Forums have more stringent editing windows. The Hauptwerk forum allows about a 15 minute editing window. Another forum I frequent has a similar edit window time in minutes while another has no window to edit at all.

The problem with permitting posts to be edited at all is that it is disruptive to posts that come after them. For example, you say something in your post, another person replies to your post, then you go and edit your post, causing the reply to become nonsense. Further, if your original post was quoted in replies, that quoted text is not changed by your edits. Also affected by edits are search engines such Google and Bing which may have indexed information in the original post that is no longer in the post, sending searchers for information on a non-productive goose chase.

The potential disconnect between replies to the original post and the edited post reflect on the integrity of the Forum even if the edits are well-intentioned. When abused by a troll, spammer, disgruntled poster, or hacker the consequences become more serious and disruptive.

Finally, it's not likely that people who have read the original post will go back to read it again and the see correction. Why would they think to do so? If you add a post to say that your original post has been edited and people should read it again, then you've cluttered the thread and wasted everybody's time. Things like spelling and grammatical errors need not be corrected. Everyone understands this is the Internet, not High School English class.

Corrections or additions to the original post are best made with additional comments in flow of the thread, just like in the flow of a verbal conversation.

[quantum]

A number of other forums I belong to use a model where all pertinent info is summarized in the first post, and the discussion trails in the following posts. The expectation is the first post is always updated, and users constantly refer to it. I have come to appreciate this non-linear format over time for its efficiency in gathering information, although I understand it is not for everyone. Re-reading information is second nature to me, to assure I understand a text before making comment on it. Read twice, comment once as I like to say. But maybe that is the academian in me speaking.

One music forum I belong to briefly changed its edit policy to be restrictive after one case of abuse. There was a lot of backlash from longtime members, and I think content submission suffered a lot. The decision was reversed a few months later. Not saying it would happen here, just one experience case. Though organforum still has one of the more restrictive edit policies of the forums I frequent.

While I do not entirely agree with your reasoning, I respect your decision and thank you for explaining the thinking behind the current policy.

[Admin]

The Organ Forum had no restrictions on editing during its early years. Then after several abuses, one of which was very disruptive and wiped out years of posts, the current policy of having a edit window was put in place. That policy has been in place for ten years, and I think you're the first to comment on it. Twelve hours seems like a more than adequate amount of time to rethink your post and make changes if necessary.

The idea of having a table of contents type post at the beginning of each thread is interesting, but not supported by the Forum software, and I'm unaware of any forum platform that has editing permissions based on the position of the post in the thread. Regardless, such a capability has a similar set of issues and is better suited to a Wiki than a discussion forum.

We had a Wiki here, but discontinued it for lack of interest and contributions.

[KC9UDX]

This is one of, if not the most lenient forum that I frequent, as far as editing. Not that my opinion means a hill of beans but I think 12 hours is problematic. 12 minutes would be adequate. I know I'm guilty of editing and editing again because for some reason the more times I read back what I've written, the more errors I find in it. I do read over a post before posting but that isn't always enough for me. 12 hours is enough time that an edit becomes revisionist and confusing for readers, in my opinion. But Admin and whomever else was involved in the 12 hour decision certainly knows more about how this forum operates than I do.

[voet]

One way to give yourself more time to edit your posts would be to write them in your word processor and post them after you have made all of your edits.