**Edit Button**

[Silvertwinky]

My edit button disappeared a short while after making a previous post!
Anyone else have this happen?

[balrgn]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinky

My edit button disappeared a short while after making a previous post!
Anyone else have this happen?

I think they have it on a time thing, after 15 minutes it will not allow an edit...

[TomW]

It is apparently a new rule:

Originally Posted by fireflyinva

One thing I know is that the current setup only allows you 15 minutes to edit your response. I suppose it's a way to get us to stick to our words (and hopefully think about what we are going to write before posting).

Mary

[TomW]

Originally Posted by 65GT

Due to the permanent nature of this post...

In my opinion, one should compose a post as if an edit button would never be available. I see no reason to ever post something with the thought that it can be "adjusted" later if the author should care to change his or her mind on the content. But is nice having 15 minutes to add a thought or correct typos!

But that being said, the Moderators can edit any post as necessary. Contact one of them (keeping in mind they are volunteers helping out as they can) if the 16 minute old misuse of "there" instead of "they're" is keeping you awake at night.

Tom

[flamingo-kid1]

Originally Posted by 65GT

Due to the permanent nature of this post, I must keep my answer brief.

Your edit button now disappears 15 minutes after you have finished with your post! Better watch what you say!

My edit needs are always because of a typo, some STOOPID thing I did not check carefully enough.. so either I have to be more careful, or you guys will have to suffer with my ineptitude :-)

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by flamingo-kid1

My edit needs are always because of a typo, some STOOPID thing I did not check carefully enough.. so either I have to be more careful, or you guys will have to suffer with my ineptitude :-)

Not everybody only corrects typos. Some have been known to drastically change the content of their posts making additional comments posted later seem disjointed.

Sorry for the inconvienence.

Shari

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Not everybody only corrects typos. Some have been known to drastically change the content of their posts making additional comments posted later seem disjointed.

Shari

Then the "some" should be the ones to loose that priv, not the masses that use it to fix stupid grammer or typos without now having to ask for help to fix a post. I think taking this away from everyone was just easier than dealing with the handful of folks that abused it.

[Big Dee]

I never saw the "disjointed" problem on threads, but it must have been a HUGE problem for such drastic action. But it sure sucks to have priviledges taken away. I just read a post of mine with some typos, even with proof reading. But didn't catch in time period so now permanent. Now I have to contact a moderator to correct typos? Or leave them? Both options bug me. Like Twink said, why not just take away the edit button from those that abuse it, rather than punish all members?

[Silvertwinkie]

Maybe a suggestion would be to let folks that have over a certain number of posts or been on the forum for a certain period of time be allowed to have the perk back with the understanding that if it's abused, it's yanked.

I mean we are all adults here after all.......

[bake315]

I'd think that 15 minutes after making an initial post would be more than sufficient time for proofreading what I'd written, and going back to make any grammar changes. If one needs more time than that to consider what they've written, then it might be a good idea to do that before hitting the "post" button. Too often people speak without thinking, and often people immediately wish they hadn't afterward, but by then it's too late, and feelings get hurt, or whatever. I think the moderators' decision to implement the time limit for everyone was the best, and certainly most even-handed way to deal with some rather wild editing that was occurring in some threads. To single out individuals for revocation of editing privileges would really only create additional animosity and exacerbate an already delicate situation. Better, I think, to make the change forum-wide and keep the field as level as possible. If, however a member continues to present problems and become a negative influence on the forum after multiple interventions by the moderators, they should be permanently removed, much like any one of us would want a discourteous, noisy obnoxious neighbor dealt with, if they insisted upon being the perpetual blight.

We all "fat-finger" the keys once in a while, and maybe our sentence structure isn't all that, or we call it Vulkem, Vulcem or Vulkum. We don't have to be English majors to enjoy the wonderful exchange of thoughts and information here. Each and every one of us has something to offer on this forum, no matter how we spell it. So let's enjoy what we have in this forum - sure can't beat the price - and who knows? If we find this forum periodically saves us from ourselves, either by electrocution, or by something we might say out of anger, how can that be such a bad thing?

[Big Dee]

I guess I just missed these threads that had this "wild editing" that produced "disjointed" threads that was such a problem as to revoke editing priviledges for all members. Are there any examples of this wild editing ruining a thread? Are there any threads from the last week? Two weeks? Would like to see how bad this problem was.

And if a poster decides to restate something that was negative and make it positive, is this a problem? Why wait til a moderator forces a edit or deletion if the poster wants to make it better himself? Does the no edit button make everyone wait to post until they are cooled down? Does the no edit button prevent flaming? I bet the edit button prevented many flaming posts long before any mod saw it.

Furthermore, the Open Roads Forum's (RV.Net) moderators make edits to posts all the time. Are the mods there making the threads disjointed or just keeping it civil? And the huge Open Roads forum, which is much bigger than this place, allows members full editing priviledges with no time limit. How come they haven't had this "wild editing" problem as well? Probably, they didn't see it as a big enough problem to revoke everyone's priviledge.

As for letting posts go without corrections, I do not enjoy reading a post that has many typos. If given a choice, I'd choose the well written post everytime over a "fat fingered" one. Who wants to read hundreds of posts in need of editing? Typos can go unnoticed if read immediately after being written because the eyes see what is in your mind, not what is on the screen. Thus proofing after some time away will often produce errors not caught the first time.

Finally, why wasn't the whole edit problem discussed with the community? Was there any input requested about this problem of "wild editing"? Any solutions elicited from members? Why do the moderators discuss everything behind closed doors and never elicit comments from the community? Maybe the community could have solved the problem on our own without having to strip editing priviledges from everyone. Maybe not. But shouldn't stripping the edit button be a last resort? I know the answer from the mgmt already: This place is free so shut up and be grateful. My answer is: I am grateful for the priviledges I have left and hope these aren't taken away too for the actions of others.

I do love this place. I just have a problem with heavy handed government. I wish it were more democratic around here. I wish we could elect at least one moderator to represent the community. Wow- what a revolutionary thought! But this ain't a democracy, is it?

[Jim & Susan]

Originally Posted by Big Dee

I do love this place. I just have a problem with heavy handed government. I wish it were more democratic around here. I wish we could elect at least one moderator to represent the community. Wow- what a revolutionary thought! But this ain't a democracy, is it?

Big Dee probably said it best right there. If an individual is abusing others, that's one thing. But if the problem is grammer/speelling/syntax/etc, that's entirely different. In the end, tho, this is probably all software driven (i.e., the webmaster/moderators have to apply rules in a largely general fashion, as in time rules for everybody, not just the "nice guys" [or "bad Guys"]).

As for me, Igenerally OnLy HaVe A problem after I've been Renovating The TT and Drinking SEVeral beers, LIKE write now! HeeHee!!!

[sfixx]

Originally Posted by flamingo-kid1

My edit needs are always because of a typo...

Me too. Maybe I'll just start typing in MS Word and pasting onto the forum so I can use spell check first. I've been known to correct typos in a post 2-3 separate times. I just can't even see the typos until the next day

Perhaps the "reason for edit" line should be mandatory?

Still, I certainly appreciate the effort the mods put out and they simply call em like they see um.

Anyone else not like how grumpy the forum seems to be lately?

Steve

[thenewkid64]

If you are worried about spell checking your post there is an IE spell check tool that is free. It will not correct grammar, but it will catch the pesky misspelled words.

www.iespell.com

I have it on both of my systems. It works on any web site you type on as a spelling checker and you can add words to the dictionary, etc.

If you look at many of my early posts my spelling is horrible. I know how to spell, I just cannot type! If you have been in chat with me you know of what I speak

[Silvertwinkie]

That's cool if you have a PC...but if you have a Mac, Linux or Unix system, I suppose you'll have to use your fav word processor, spell check, post and pray you never want to edit without asking for permission.

[thenewkid64]

Eric,

Note I am wearing my flame retardant suit..........


If the OS and browsers that you mention were as feature packed as everyone keeps touting, why do they not have a built in spell checker????

I am not a fan of Bill, but I make my living selling his stuff.

[bake315]

Originally Posted by Big Dee

Are there any examples of this wild editing ruining a thread?

Yes - Inland RV going back and changing several posts that were hours (days?) old from whatever had been stated originally to "good deal" made for a pretty strange looking thread afterwards. A thread that started off about someone finding some great deals online and passing it on to others ended up looking like everyone yelling at a guy saying "good deal" over and over and over again. I'm sure this has been a problem in the past, but the mods could cite more examples - they've been here longer than I have.

Originally Posted by Big Dee

And if a poster decides to restate something that was negative and make it positive, is this a problem?

If you're physically in a room full of people and you say something there that you come to regret later, can you go back and erase everyone's mind who overheard you and put in a better choice of words? None of us can, and for that matter, if we have the ability to choose our words more carefully when we're all physically standing in a room, why do some folks change this behavior when we're names on a computer screen? Furthermore, if a post sits and sits for hours and hours, plenty of people are going to read it before it's changed, so changing it so long after the fact seems a pointless exercise, as was Inland RV's going in and changing all of his responses after everyone had already read them. Who are they really changing it for, themselves? The jig was up long ago. Simply stated, if you consider what you write or say at the outset and how it will be received, you'll find far less of a need to backpedal, rewrite and possibly eat some crow on down the line.

When I say "you", I don't actually mean YOU, either.

Originally Posted by Big Dee

Maybe the community could have solved the problem on our own without having to strip editing priviledges from everyone. Maybe not. But shouldn't stripping the edit button be a last resort?

Maybe it was the last resort? Maybe it's a temporary curb? Only the moderators know for certain, and who's to say even then that they know themselves? There's a reason why there are millions of small towns and villages across this great country of ours with no law enforcement, save for the members of the community themselves and the county sheriff. Sometimes the collective common sense of a community is all the law it needs. Sometimes policing ourselves is all the police we need. I know RV.net essentially imploded a year or two back because things apparently moved beyond reasonability. I understand it was a real slash 'n burn affair, too. I cannot conceive of this forum ever getting close to chaos like that. But the antidote against it lies not with the moderators, but with you and me. It falls to us as members of this forum to make sure the vast majority of their job as volunteers is as dull and uneventful as possible.

I love this forum as you do, there's no doubt about that!

[Silvertwinkie]

You know there are a lot of things we Mac folk have been missing out on...this is just another item to add to the list.

How about you turn my edit privs back until it happens.

I make my living dealing with Steve's gear and like the fact that I don't have to worry (for now) like my Wintel counterparts do.

[Silvertwinkie]

Dave I think you are comparing issues that are not comparable. I mean a real live conversation vs a typed forum....two totally different beasts. You are right, you can't take back what you say, but there is more input and conversation than there is on a forum. Tone, inflection, etc are totally missing here outside of a few smilies. Bottom line if that's the case, then Inland should have gotten the time out and any other person that has recently broken the rules.

You know it's funny, when a kid acts up in school, we deal with the kid, not the entire grade level because of one or a handful of kids.

[wheel interested]

I tried to edit my subject line for the thread later thinking it was not clear and generated no interest and few responses. 'Course it wasn't so interesting anyway But I wanted to clarify it. I also thought it was a nice way to add a picture or even remove a picture or replace it. I guess I felt like a poster should be the owner and have control over his or her own posting, the right to edit, retract, change. Seems like selective use of locking and editing, pms, and worst case temporary banning could contol the masses. If it was severe to affect everyone's privileges it might have been severe enough to take some sort of action. Haven't had the entire class punished in a long time...

Words from administrator or moderator affixed at the top of the forum pages as to changes would be appropriate and appreciated.