Editing Cutoff Time - Now 1 Week - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

**ElectroMaster** · 21st July 2008, 07:39 AM

Hello all,

After many posts and lots of PMs, I think the 'editing posts' topic deserves its own thread. This is to allow people to give their input and for our members to.

If you didn't notice that there was a post editing time restriction, well there wasn't until a couple of weeks ago. I attempted to make a 15 minute editing cutoff time which prevents people from editing their posts after 15 minutes, this was done in an attempt to preserve older posts from being edited or removed (my reasons are quoted below).

However, when I made this change there was quite an unexpected uproar. There have been a threads started in a few different forums and therefore I have removed them so we can have a clean and tidy discussion about it in the one place.

Anyway quoted below was my reasoning and the post I made:

Quote:

Hi Guys,

Okay, in the past we actually allowed posts to be deleted. We thought it was no real biggy, however we did notice some posts just going missing. These were valuable posts, however the person who submitted the original post didn't want them there and therefore they just deleted them. We put a stop to this because forums are designed to be not only an active community and allow friendly discussions, it's also archive of information and that's one of the most valued part of this site.. The massive amount of information that helps out hobbyists every day. As you can imagine we changed this and made it so users couldn't delete posts.

Now, as you can imagine, instead of deleting posts people started to cotton onto being able to edit posts to nothing. I have experienced users simply wanting to leave ETO and deciding to remove all of their information by editing posts and overwriting the content with "Removed". And it's a real shame for people to search on Google for an electronics question, be directed to this site only to find answers removed and/or only parts of information. This is the main reason for now limiting the edit time on posts. There are also other reasons, for example some people feel like editing their original post to say "Resolved" when a member answers it correctly, or a now experienced member looks at a 2 year old post and feels like it was a stupid question to ask and simply edits it to say "...". In the end if we allow people to edit their posts forever we would have a very messy forum.

And remember if the cutoff period has past and you need a post to be edited for say spelling mistakes, or correcting information etc then the moderators and I don't have a problem with making the changes.

Due to the members requesting this I have increased the cutoff time to 1 Week. If you want to put in there say this thread it where you should do it - good or bad. I have also added a poll - its public so we get to see who votes for what.

Hero999 · 21st July 2008, 01:40 PM

I prefer it to 1 hour but ultimately I think an unlimited time is better because people can ammend broken links months or even years after.

I can see the problems an unlimited time could cause with people vandalisng threads but to my knowledge such incidents are few and far between. On the whole I feel that the benefits of infinite editing time outweighs the disadvantages.

Pommie · 21st July 2008, 02:00 PM

I think one week is a good compromise.

Can I suggest a slight modification which may appease the posters who think editing is bad. When the edit time was 15 minutes, during the edit period you could click on the Last edited by poster at the bottom of the post and see exactly what had been changed. If this could be turned on for the 1 week period as well (or forever if possible) then it will prevent any devious editing. Personally, I am happy for anyone to see any edit I have made.

Mike.
Edit, forget my last suggestion as I just edited a post and see that it is already implemented.

**3v0** · 21st July 2008, 02:06 PM

The 1 hour edit was fine for text. Where I ran into problems was with code and schematics.

Hero999 · 21st July 2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pommie

I think one week is a good compromise.

I suppose it is - you're never going to please everyone.

Pommie · 21st July 2008, 02:19 PM

BTW, can everyone see and click on the Last edited by Pommie link in my post above? I can't click on other posters edits but it maybe because they were edited before the change.

Mike.

Hero999 · 21st July 2008, 02:35 PM

No, only the origional poster can do that, perhaps it should be changed so every one can veiw everyone else's edit history and then there wouldn'd be a need for a time limit?

jpanhalt · 21st July 2008, 03:19 PM

I think 1 hour is a pretty good compromise. Unless it is a very inactive thread, 1 week allows too much disruption of the relationship between a post and replies. John

dknguyen · 21st July 2008, 09:58 PM

I think 1 hour was good too and 1 week is a bit much- however, I don't post a lot of code and attachments/schematics and that seems to be what the supporters of a >1 hour time limit are pointing at.

BeeBop · 21st July 2008, 10:15 PM

Yes, an hour should be enough. If someone needs to update a link or something, a new post in the thread should do it. If someone is posting schematic or code, then get your S together before starting, and it should be fine, no?

**3v0** · 21st July 2008, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeeBop

Yes, an hour should be enough. If someone needs to update a link or something, a new post in the thread should do it. If someone is posting schematic or code, then get your S together before starting, and it should be fine, no?

If I have to sit down and fully debug every line code to meet your idea of getting my S together I am not going to be posting code.

BeeBop · 21st July 2008, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3v0

If I have to sit down and fully debug every line code to meet your idea of getting my S together I am not going to be posting code.

No, don't do that!

What is wrong with re-posting with corrections? If you are posting untested code, then mark it so.

I seem to have annoyed you, and don't know why. Perhaps you can fill me in here.

BeeBop · 21st July 2008, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3v0

The 1 hour edit was fine for text. Where I ran into problems was with code and schematics.

More explanation would help everyone here.

Hero999 · 21st July 2008, 10:48 PM

I don't know if anyone's taken what Pommie and I have said in.

When you edit a post the previous copy gets saved and the origional poster can veiw the previous versions by clicking on a link which is generated below the post after it is edited.

All the admin needs to do is make it so that everyone can view the previous versions of edited posts.

Alll Pommie and I are saying is that everyone should be able to use this feature so they can see how others have edited their posts.

Then there would be no need for an editing delay, even if the poster blanks their previous posts, other people could click on them and see what they wrote before they blanked them and a moderator would be able to restore the post to its previous version.

See the attached image for more info.

Try creating a post, editing it and you'll see what I mean.

**3v0** · 21st July 2008, 11:11 PM

Posting code and schematics is fundamentally different then posting text. They are much more prone to fixable errors. And fixing the error will not disrupt the thread. Often the changes are noted in another post, but the corrections need to be made in the original code, post or attachment.

Most anything posted to the Internet gets archived and hangs around forever, at least a very long time. If one is allowed to correct code in place fewer bugs will be archived. Fewer people will end up trying to use the code with the bugs. Fewer people will think the poster to be brain dammaged.

If I write a stupid message that is one me. A hour is more then enough time to edit text. But using LATA where I should have used PORTA is not the same at all. In my mind I should be able to fix code (and schematics) for a longer period.

At times I write code of the cuff. It always has errors. The latter in the day the more errors it will have

My brain turns into a pumpkin after lunch. I do have not problem with six people telling me where the errors are, I just do not feel good about leaving 5 broken version around to go down in history. Let me fix the first one. Please!

View Poll Results: What do you think about the Editing Cutoff Time?
I think its needed and is a good idea	12	60.00%
I think is is a bad idea and dont like it at all	4	20.00%
I think its to short	2	10.00%
I think its to long	4	20.00%
I don't edit my posts	0	0%
I didn't notice	0	0%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 20. You may not vote on this poll

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21st July 2008, 01:40 PM	(permalink)
Hero999	I prefer it to 1 hour but ultimately I think an unlimited time is better because people can ammend broken links months or even years after. I can see the problems an unlimited time could cause with people vandalisng threads but to my knowledge such incidents are few and far between. On the whole I feel that the benefits of infinite editing time outweighs the disadvantages. __________________ I also post at the following sites: http://www.stop-microsoft.org http://www.heated-debates.com Screen name: Aloone_Jonez Last edited by Hero999; 21st July 2008 at 02:08 PM.

21st July 2008, 02:00 PM	(permalink)
Pommie	I think one week is a good compromise. Can I suggest a slight modification which may appease the posters who think editing is bad. When the edit time was 15 minutes, during the edit period you could click on the Last edited by poster at the bottom of the post and see exactly what had been changed. If this could be turned on for the 1 week period as well (or forever if possible) then it will prevent any devious editing. Personally, I am happy for anyone to see any edit I have made. Mike. Edit, forget my last suggestion as I just edited a post and see that it is already implemented. Last edited by Pommie; 21st July 2008 at 02:04 PM.

21st July 2008, 02:06 PM	(permalink)
3v0	The 1 hour edit was fine for text. Where I ran into problems was with code and schematics. __________________ search engine for electronic parts Junebug USB PIC programmer kit., USB Bit Wacker, Homepage The 15 Minute Printed Circuit Board! (+drill time)

21st July 2008, 02:19 PM	(permalink)
Pommie	BTW, can everyone see and click on the Last edited by Pommie link in my post above? I can't click on other posters edits but it maybe because they were edited before the change. Mike.

21st July 2008, 02:35 PM	(permalink)
Hero999	No, only the origional poster can do that, perhaps it should be changed so every one can veiw everyone else's edit history and then there wouldn'd be a need for a time limit? __________________ I also post at the following sites: http://www.stop-microsoft.org http://www.heated-debates.com Screen name: Aloone_Jonez

21st July 2008, 03:19 PM	(permalink)
jpanhalt	I think 1 hour is a pretty good compromise. Unless it is a very inactive thread, 1 week allows too much disruption of the relationship between a post and replies. John

21st July 2008, 09:58 PM	(permalink)
dknguyen	I think 1 hour was good too and 1 week is a bit much- however, I don't post a lot of code and attachments/schematics and that seems to be what the supporters of a >1 hour time limit are pointing at. __________________ NO, that picture isn't me so don't bother asking if we can be friends.

21st July 2008, 10:15 PM	(permalink)
BeeBop	Yes, an hour should be enough. If someone needs to update a link or something, a new post in the thread should do it. If someone is posting schematic or code, then get your S together before starting, and it should be fine, no?

21st July 2008, 11:11 PM	(permalink)
3v0	Posting code and schematics is fundamentally different then posting text. They are much more prone to fixable errors. And fixing the error will not disrupt the thread. Often the changes are noted in another post, but the corrections need to be made in the original code, post or attachment. Most anything posted to the Internet gets archived and hangs around forever, at least a very long time. If one is allowed to correct code in place fewer bugs will be archived. Fewer people will end up trying to use the code with the bugs. Fewer people will think the poster to be brain dammaged. If I write a stupid message that is one me. A hour is more then enough time to edit text. But using LATA where I should have used PORTA is not the same at all. In my mind I should be able to fix code (and schematics) for a longer period. At times I write code of the cuff. It always has errors. The latter in the day the more errors it will have My brain turns into a pumpkin after lunch. I do have not problem with six people telling me where the errors are, I just do not feel good about leaving 5 broken version around to go down in history. Let me fix the first one. Please! __________________ search engine for electronic parts Junebug USB PIC programmer kit., USB Bit Wacker, Homepage The 15 Minute Printed Circuit Board! (+drill time)