I may be reading this wrong, but I do not see a real consensus here. I sense stronger feelings on the side of those who favor leaving the right of editing their posts the way it is.

This is still open for discussion.

 

I think that after a few hours to edit posts with typos, they should be locked. If anything needs to be changed or clarified after that, it can be done in another post. Perhaps a 24 hour limit? Mods should have the right to delete posts if they violate forum rules, with an explanation given to the poster in an email or PM.

 

I think there should be a time limit of 72 hours to edit posts. if by then you haven't fixed what you want to fix, then you can contact a mod to edit it.

 

Tough call. Present issue not withstanding, I think it's probably rare that people go back and and edit their posts to "rewrite history." It may not be a big enough problem that a rule change is needed. Having said that, I'm also fine if posts are not editable after some period of time without moderator OK. Maybe after some defined period, all edits automatically go through a moderator before the change shows up? I know, more work for you guys.

Lastly, aren't most meaningful posts quoted often enough that editing them doesn't erase the record anyway?

 

appreciate all the thoughts and recommendations...the idea behind this potential change was just to make the forum more "life like"...you can't run away from the things you say and do in day to day life...why should you be able to on the internet? I only see an issue when some attached documents are removed or links to documents/photos are removed as happened with WD. In that case they are not recoverable unless somone has previously saved them or done a screen shot...text edits are fully recoverable...this is just a thought and not in any way planned as policy...that is why your input is being sought

 

The problem with linked docs is that the poster can just delete the file from wherever it was uploaded...since 6spd doesn't store files, there is no need to edit the link out of the 6spd post- Just empty the file from the linked location.

In actual fact, I've used Google to look at items that others have deleted... if google has cached it, you can often times read that history. But it is a crap shoot.

The other aspect of this is to keep material 'google search-able'. Someone may not know that in 2007 the VIN of the car they are thinking of buying was posted in a thread on "my unfortunate track mishap".... If the OP from 2007 went back and deleted all he wrote in 2010 when he went to sell the car, the new buyer wouldn't know to look there or ask a mod to restore it...but if it is preserved and unedited it is then discoverable.

A

 

Anyone expecting to fool all the people all the time deserves to get caught. If you track your car, or crashed it, posted all this information on the board and then expect to sell it as driven by a little old lady, you should get banned from the board. (You could also face legal issues regarding your misrepresentations.) 5 days may be a short fuse to lock out edits but maybe 30 days is more reasonable. It's the freedom of expression and exchange of ideas that make this board successful.
However these freedoms should not extend to outright misrepresentations and libelous comments.
The moderators do an excellent job allowing a broad range of discussion and only intervene when absolutely necessary (the recent Kinesis thread is a good example).

 

Whilst it might sound like a good idea at the moment, at some stage, everyone posts something that after some time, day, month or year wishes they hadn't, or at the least wishes they could change it (due to a change in beliefs, lifestyle, or something else......).

I believe taking away a users ability to change what they have said/written at anytime now or in the future is not right. It will most certainly reduce the willingness of some members sharing valuable information, as I for one, would not like, not being able to make a changes if I so desired.

Having said that, everyone should always be cautious of posting anything on the web that they are not 100% happy showing the rest of the world.

 

I would vote to leave things as they are. Is post editing really a problem for which privaleges need to be limited? If so, what's the problem? I can see restricting classified sections since you're dealing with sales of goods but not for opinions. Just my opinion.

 

Not a bad idea...I'll see if we can make it specific to the marketplace

 

I think a members general posts should remain such and if they feel the need to ammend or delete at any stage in time that they be allowed the right to do so. Stickys excepted. I fail to see the need to lock anything and everything up in history if the poster doesn't wish for that to occur. There is currently a situation now that any post can be trapped in a respondants post so if the post is so important, worthy or relevant to the discussion it becomes trapped as a consequence of reply anyway. Posts that are not trapped may not be so worthy anyway, so locking everything up in time is unnecessary. I believe to remove freedom is generally not a good thing particularly when it involves sustaining tensions between posters due to flaming or a contentious argument. This can cause future difficulty between the parties involved to move forward. In these instances i believe there should be an environment where any such trapped posts are able to be removed upon application. Posts that become part of stickys should be kept trapped unless of course there is certain content containing flame material between parties that is not relevant to the main content of discussion, that component to be allowed to be deleted upon request.

Vendors classifieds are a different thing but in saying that EBAY allows changes up to the point of a bid being placed. A suggestion would be that a vendor be a allowed a period of 24 hours after placing the advert to make changes after which approval to be sought from the heirachy. If it is found after the 24hr period that the price of the goods being offered for sale is uncompetitive then the vendor should be able to correct, again through the necessary channels.

 

Classified sales constitute a contract. So no deletions or edits of a for-sale ad after the transaction.

I've seen other forums where a member can edit their reply but any "quotes" of their reply remain unchanged.

That makes it evident that something was changed in the original post while allowing respondents to capture the original post for the record.

I also wouldn't mind being a paying member to allow the forum greater independence from "vendors gone wild".

 

I would suggest one hour to make changes (anyone may want to change something or rapidly regret what they said and retract it). After that, edits should be possible only if there is the possibility to see the original text (e.g. the site forces a strikethrough with edit time, similar to track changes in Word or blackline copy in a legal document, or the original post is archived as a link that anyone can click on to see).

Pros - members are accountable for what they post, just like in real life

Cons - some threads may not be as interesting to read as the funny poo slinging may be reduced

 

I have been a moderator here for a short period of time. The only occasions where I found an edit or deletion to be problematic has been in the marketplace, after a sale has been completed, and there has been a dispute. I have found edits or deletions tend not to be a significant issue in the general forums...as others have said...they are opinions, where as marketplace discussion is more "contractual."

For example, when center caps were not included in the sale of wheels, the OP edited his post after the sale was completed:

 

I can see locking a marketplace post after some time. Any other section there could be a reason to update the original post with info or pics weeks or months later.