Editing past posts (esp. opening post)

[jarmo]

Greetings.

Short version: I recommend that on this board we are given the option to freely edit our posts later. This would give the person writing the opening post to collect most relevant information into the opening post for later use and quick overview.

Longer version:

In a number of discussion forums I have used, discussions often linger on for tens of pages. SL is certainly not different. A most useful service in such cases is if the writer of the first message, the opening post (OP), edits the OP later to contain the most relevant information.

I was just about to start a discussion on tracking drills. As the OP writer of such a thread, I would want to collect the drills into the OP, so that someone finding the thread would not need to wade through 87 pages to see what has been proposed.

I do not think later editing is possible on this forum. I think the possibility to edit closes with time/replies.

Could we be given the option to edit freely?

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Jarmo

It has been possible in the past, and I believe Paul took the feature of, because there where examples of people editing their posts later to reflect something else than what was being said.
One way to get around that, would be to have the edit history of a post possible to access, just like on Facebook.

Looking forward to see what comes of this

Cheers
Lasse

[James9118]

Jarmo - this would result in a return to all out warfare in the physics sub-forum. Currently we're all observing a negotiated ceasefire, but we've all been in an arms race in the background. For example, I'm ready to go to war with anyone who thinks fly lines produce a lift force or would accelerate in a vacuum. (Probably before your time here, but post editing has been a big issue in the past).

James

[Paul Arden]

Hi Jarmo,

There have been a number of problems in the past with people editing their posts. One I remember well was someone highlighting all text and deleting it during an argument, running back through pages and pages of their posts. Which made it completely impossible for me to see what had happened when logging in. There has also been the problem that someone would write something and then change it much later. Which has certainly caused problems in the past, making discussions either difficult to follow, or even destroying the integrity of the discussion so much as to make it nonsensical.

In extreme situations where someone has regretted posting something later on and has asked me to change or delete it, I’ve always obliged. But that personal edit button has proved such a headache in the past. It is possible to self edit posts but there is a time limit on this option (it’s more to fix grammar and typos when rereading it). I don’t think there is a modification to the software that allows, as Lasse suggests, to keep a record of the edits and the changes are simply permanent to the Board database.

I think your other suggestion is really excellent. There is in fact a best answer tool. The idea is that either the best answer is flagged or a post can be made with a collection of best answers either copy and past or links to the post numbers would work. I’ll demonstrate how it works with this post, even though it may not be the best answer!

Of course I can see this as a potential problem or indeed gift. If I’m arguing with Lasse, for example, I can highlight one of my replies as “best answer”. Maybe I can make a worst answer tool too, for Lasse

Thanks!
Paul

[jarmo]

Hello Paul (and others).

There have been a number of problems in the past with people editing their posts. One I remember well was someone highlighting all text and deleting it during an argument, running back through pages and pages of their posts. Which made it completely impossible for me to see what had happened when logging in. There has also been the problem that someone would write something and then change it much later. Which has certainly caused problems in the past, making discussions either difficult to follow, or even destroying the integrity of the discussion so much as to make it nonsensical.

I see. I appreciate the fact that people have strong feelings about fly casting, and I understand how this can lead to the problems you described.

I don’t think there is a modification to the software that allows, as Lasse suggests, to keep a record of the edits and the changes are simply permanent to the Board database.

I was just browsing through the documentation, and this feature does not seem to be included in the base system. I can find several extensions which provide this functionality, for example this one. I am not a big fan of extensions, since they tend to become unmaintained.

However, looking at the documentation, it might be possible to allow regular users to edit their posts on specific forums. If this were possible, would there be any interest - in addition to mine - in a forum such as “Teaching tips” or something similar, where post’s could be edited? This would enable the kind of threads I discussed above, where relevant information could be summarised into the OP. If there is any interest in this, I can find the details and post them here.

[RSalar]

I recommend that on this board we are given the option to freely edit our posts later. ...

I would want to collect the drills into the OP, so that someone finding the thread would not need to wade through 87 pages to see what has been proposed.

That's a great idea -- being able to add some kind of recap/summery or even an index to the beginning of a long thread, but it would also be, in some cases, a lot of work!

In order to prevent people from changing their ill-conceived arguments after they have embarrassed themselves, how about the OP type up this recap/summary/index to what has become a multiple page long thread of mixed topics, and send it to Paul along with whatever notes, remarks and assessment he or she thinks should be in the new improved OP -- then Paul can read it, edit it if necessary, then copy and past it to the beginning of the thread? Maybe that is more work than Paul cares to take on, but it is a way to maintain the integrity of the thread while providing an easy way for anyone interested in certain concepts within the thread to find them without reading through the entire thread.

-Ron

[Paul Arden]

As far as adding a synopsises to the front of the thread the best answer does this. We can just formulate a best answer near the end and by pinning it, it will appear in the original post as can be seen above at the very top of this page. This best answer can have snippets of the discussion and links to the full post.

No question it would be great for the Board. Also no question is it’s a hell of a lot of work if it’s done by one person. But if we all took part in this process then it’s quite achievable.

Let me just confirm that the first post appears like this for you guys?

E019EED9-497F-4C40-AC8E-A047F948C74D.jpeg (83.37 KiB) Viewed 796 times

Otherwise it’s just me or Board admin who see this

Thanks, Paul

[Stoatstail50]

It’s been unpleasantly abused in the past, thread history rewritten to protect vulnerable egos…it was very irritating to find yourself reacting to a passage of text that was subsequently altered or deleted after you’d made a post. Tech forum was terrible for it.

[jarmo]

As far as adding a synopsises to the front of the thread the best answer does this. We can just formulate a best answer near the end and by pinning it, it will appear in the original post as can be seen above at the very top of this page. This best answer can have snippets of the discussion and links to the full post.

Ok, now I understand what you mean. The one writing the OP can formulate best answers along the way, always adding a new best answer with newest info.

Yes, I think this is a decent mechanism for achieving what I wanted. Furthermore, I think it is always possible to delete a post, so OP writer could remove the outdated “best answers” on the fly.

I will start a new thread with this idea soon, let us see how it works. Thanks!

[Paul Arden]

Furthermore, I think it is always possible to delete a post, so OP writer could remove the outdated “best answers” on the fly.

It’s easy to change “best answer” to another post, in order to update. Also it’s possible for admin to edit the original best answer post.

I will make this the best answer now!

Cheers, Paul