[DocJohn]

After having 4+ months of experience with this and further discussion amongst the Community Team here, we've once again decided to place a time limit on members editing their own posts, a behavior that is consistent with the vast majority of online communities.

We have changed this from "unlimited" time to 12 hours because a few members have been abusing this privilege to 'change history' in controversial threads, or threads where things have gone in a direction the member didn't care for. It was creating very difficult and time consuming moderation situations where a post was reported for an issue, but then changed or removed by the original poster to make it look like there was no issue. Or a moderator would go in and remove something inconsistent with our community guidelines, only to find the poster goes back and changes it back later on. And so on. The Community Team can't do their job here if the floor keeps moving under their feet.

When some members abuse the privilege, we have to take action to stop threads from becoming nonsensical or inconsistent with the community guidelines. An online thread is a conversation or a discussion that occurs at a specific time in a specific place.

Specific posts can still be edited outside of 12 hours by a moderator or administrator if you so request via PM.

As always, thank you for your continuing support,
John

[Curious]

Thank you DocJohn.

For the members who post medical information (articles and such) that may need updating: by quoting your original post and adding the changes, your post will show as a new post. Members will then see the new information. Going back and editing old posts keeps in where it was. Not many go back and ever read old posts.

[Julie]

Thanks DocJohn.

[Chemar]

thanks Doc

this really was a needed change

just a reminder that for any member who wants something in a post of theirs edited....just PM one of us mods and we will review the request and make the edits for you where needed.

[loisba]

Much appreciated! I can remember on OBT people getting their feelings hurt over something, and going back and deleting all of their old posts, essentially erasing some very valuable information.

[Bobbi]

So true, and I plead guilty to doing so in the past: Deleting...

My reasoning was, if I posted something about a physician or something that could lead folks to recognizing themselves in what I noted (even without citing their names), I considered the effects on others. I didn't want what I was stating - within the context of "support forums" - to have a possible adverse effect on the treatment I'd receive from physicians and others. I waited (some time - generally weeks to months and when my posts were far off the main pages) and deleted.

At times, I also did so for retaining privacy, since seach engines tend to cache so much personal data that I may not want trailing me for the rest of my existence.

I thought, if the purpose is peer support, I don't want to hurt myself or my care in the process of also seeking support and insights from others .

I know I've not deleted for the purpose of altering the context or flow of a discussion, though.

It was the possible impact of how my words might be used to hurt (not help) me.

I do tend to think about what I've written before hitting the "post" button, but... there are still those times that I prefer not to have a life-long reminder of things that may be particularly painful.

[Lara]

Originally Posted by DocJohn

a few members have been abusing this privilege to 'change history' in controversial threads, or threads where things have gone in a direction the member didn't care for. It was creating very difficult and time consuming moderation situations where a post was reported for an issue, but then changed or removed by the original poster to make it look like there was no issue. Or a moderator would go in and remove something inconsistent with our community guidelines, only to find the poster goes back and changes it back later on. And so on. The Community Team can't do their job here if the floor keeps moving under their feet.

loisba, I've deleted posts on forums because of certain circumstances, not to go out of my way to create chaos or trouble, but because I felt unsafe. Admin. know about that and they knew why.

There are circumstances which some people might never know anything about where a poster might need to delete their posts. That is different from a few members changing their posts so that the message ends up being a totally different one on controversial threads as DocJohn has described above. Not everyone edits or deletes their posts in a manner which creates chaos or to cause trouble, but I've certainly seen people on forums do that. Sometimes members have extremely serious, personal and valid reasons for editing or deleting a post which many other members might have absolutely no idea what those reasons are all about. I've also noticed that certain banned members on some forums have all their messages removed. That can change the flow of conversation too! (Understatement) lol

Heck, I've had an awful day. Perhaps I'm not understanding correctly what the original message is, but I read it as being about abuse of the system, not use of the system.

[Chemar]

hi Lara

yes, the reason for this change is to stop abuse of the editing feature, fpr the reasons Doc outlined above

At any time, if you or any member want posts edited or deleted, all you have to do is contact one of the mods or admin and we will do what we can to help
We all have valid reasons sometimes for deletions or edits, and so we do want members to know we will help when this is needed.

[Burntmarshmallow]

I erased every one of my posts at obt before it crashed, and glad I did.
I guess I am one of those guilty posters .
Peace
BWM ...Tina

[Chemar]

Let's remember to stay on track here...this is about editing here not what was done on obt or why


Once again, if members want edits or deletions after the 12 hour self edit has passed, just contact us and we wil be glad to help with all valid requests