Editing / Deleting Posts

[Tiberius]

As part of our commitment to making the forums as stable as possible, we have removed the ability for users to delete their own posts, and editing posts will only last for 20 minutes after you submit them.

Before you all complain, please be aware that this does not mean that posts can't be deleted or edited in any way. If you have a valid reason for deleting a post, or need to edit it after the 20 minute limit, then you can still contact a member of staff who can perform the action for you.

The reason we have brought this in is two-fold. Firstly, it is standard practice to limit the amount a user can edit their posts on practically all discussion forums on the internet. This is to prevent people from trying to retract what they said in order to "escape" from a debate (e.g. someone editing out a remark and claiming they never said it). Secondly, it makes the forums far more stable since we don't have people deleting posts that are important in discussions, and it should make people think more about what they are posting before they do so.

As I said before, if you have a valid reason for needing to delete a post, let a member of staff know and we can discuss it. Likewise, if you realise you made an error and your 20 minutes of editing time are up, let the staff know and we can correct it for you.

However, please try to use the "preview" button a bit more when creating new threads and posts in the future. It will show you how your post will look before you submit it, and so you can proof read it, spot and correct errors, or scrap it entirely. The staff are willing to correct the odd error here and there, but we don't want to be having to correct the same errors by the same people time and time again.

Most of the errors the staff have to correct are with BB Code, so if you have the time, please read the BB Code Guide which tells you how to use various codes on the forums.

-Tiberius

[edk141]

why not take away thread creation privileges so the people who want to start troll threads can't? Everyone can always PM a mod if they have a legit thread idea.

edit: Sounded a bit shitty now I think about it, I just mean that I think it's unfair to take away privileges that are occasionally abused at the expense of everyone who doesn't abuse them.

[Shell B]

(6th August 2011 00:07)edk141 Wrote:  edit: Sounded a bit shitty now I think about it, I just mean that I think it's unfair to take away privileges that are occasionally abused at the expense of everyone who doesn't abuse them.

We're not really taking away a privilege, as much as making an adjustment in the hopes that it will keep the forum cleaner. As Tiberius pointed out, you can still have mods edit for you.

[Tiberius]

(6th August 2011 00:07)edk141 Wrote:  I just mean that I think it's unfair to take away privileges that are occasionally abused at the expense of everyone who doesn't abuse them.

Not many people delete their own posts, and if they do, it's usually for a bad reason. We are simply trying to make sure that the amount of deleted posts doesn't get to a ridiculous number. We want people to treat the forums with respect; putting effort into their posts and standing by them. It isn't a place where you can post random thoughts with the expectation of being able to remove them at any point down the line.

Likewise, most of the editing done to posts takes place well within the 20 minute limit. Most people edit mistakes they spot immediately when they look over the post they just submitted. If 20 minutes causes too many problems, then we can always increase it to something more useful.

We're willing to be flexible, as long as users are willing to be respectful.

[edk141]

(6th August 2011 00:19)Shell B Wrote:  We're not really taking away a privilege, as much as making an adjustment in the hopes that it will keep the forum cleaner. As Tiberius pointed out, you can still have mods edit for you.

It's not as if you want to be bothered by every single edit I make to my posts, for example "I really think the 'edit' in my earlier post should be emphasized" or "Whoops, looks like I forgot to capitalize that 'W'" or... well, you get the idea.


> in the hopes that it will keep the forum cleaner
How often is it actually abused? I would have thought it would be less work to revert the minority of malicious/abusive edits than to have to personally do every allowed one.

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(6th August 2011 00:26)Tiberius Wrote:  Not many people delete their own posts, and if they do, it's usually for a bad reason. We are simply trying to make sure that the amount of deleted posts doesn't get to a ridiculous number. We want people to treat the forums with respect; putting effort into their posts and standing by them. It isn't a place where you can post random thoughts with the expectation of being able to remove them at any point down the line.

Likewise, most of the editing done to posts takes place well within the 20 minute limit. Most people edit mistakes they spot immediately when they look over the post they just submitted. If 20 minutes causes too many problems, then we can always increase it to something more useful.

We're willing to be flexible, as long as users are willing to be respectful.

I edit new replies into my posts when I get sniped, such as now. Now I have to do that within 20 minutes or double post?

Also: Why not just restrict deleting then? Does/did people editing their posts cause problems?

[padraic]

Well,I do understand,but yo are going to get very sick of me indeed.

(i) I can't typefor tofee adnmakea LOT of typso.

(2) Often have a new thought,and want to add something.(Almost always within minutes)


OF course I can see how it will make admin's life easier, and realise this IS a privately owned forum not a democracy. Don't care;it's an inconvenience to me and I don't like it...

[DaveD]

It's not so much a matter of how often it's abused, as how much mayhem occurs when it is.
The people who delete the contents of their posts tend to do so over several threads, making it impossible to follow any of them. It's usually possible to stop early them if a member of staff spots them, but on an international forum it's too much to expect moderators to be on-line all the time.

[edk141]

(6th August 2011 00:36)DaveD Wrote:  It's not so much a matter of how often it's abused, as how much mayhem occurs when it is.
The people who delete the contents of their posts tend to do so over several threads, making it impossible to follow any of them. It's usually possible to stop early them if a member of staff spots them, but on an international forum it's too much to expect moderators to be on-line all the time.

I'm concerned primarily about editing rather than deleting.

[Shell B]

Ed, why not give it a try? Like, Tiberius said, he'll be flexible if it is an issue.

[DaveD]

(6th August 2011 00:39)edk141 Wrote:  

(6th August 2011 00:36)DaveD Wrote:  It's not so much a matter of how often it's abused, as how much mayhem occurs when it is.
The people who delete the contents of their posts tend to do so over several threads, making it impossible to follow any of them. It's usually possible to stop early them if a member of staff spots them, but on an international forum it's too much to expect moderators to be on-line all the time.

I'm concerned primarily about editing rather than deleting.

The idiotic vandals who do this kind of thing edit out the content of their posts, usually leaving a punctuation mark.