Question for moderators: use of the "Edit" button

[annk]

IMO it depends on the time frame and what's being edited rather than x number of minutes between post and edit.

Most typos can be fixed at any time without disturbing the discussion, even if it's continued on for pages. I've seen cases where typos have caused confusion, and the member has cleared it up in a later post.

If something's been worded too harshly and the author wants to go back to moderate it, I think that works well as long as there aren't too many posts in between discussing the comment. It doesn't have so much to do with the time frame. If I wrote something I wanted to alter later, either because I decided it was too harsh or because I saw it was being misunderstood, I might quote my own original post and write a new version - or write a post saying something like "I've edited my post above". In other words, I'd try to make it clear that I was changing what I wrote so as not to create confusion or suspicion.

I don't think it's a matter of needing to be policed, but more common sense. I think most people edit sensibly. If a particular edit looks like an attempt to troll, it can be reported and we'll look at it.

 

[FloatingBones]

Are you not inclined to re-state something after you've detected that others have misread it? Have you never posted anything and re-read it later only to figure out that it doesn't make sense or what you wanted to convey was unclear; even to you as the author? Have you ever written something in haste and realized it was harsh so you went back to edit it? Did you find a typo on something you wrote moments later and figured it was prudent to edit?

Yes. I have done those things. I've done all of them. Once I even posted something and it sounded better on the re-read than it did the first time around. That must have been a fluke.

We have a bit of a conundrum in this thread: I posted a real example of something different in the first message of this thread. The moderators have an agreement to not talk such specifics except among themselves; it would probably be good for us to do the same. If you are curious, you can go and read that example.

You're implying people need to be policed to a point where they're no longer able to edit their posts after a certain time frame.

Please read my first message in the thread. I've never said anything about a time limit.