Time Limit for Editing and Deleting Your Posts?
 

Please vote in the poll! Thanks!!

Doc John,

I think it is great that you are allowing us to vote on the issue of deleting or editing our messages, but I do not understand your position on this. Why would you not want to allow someone the right to their written posts? We were always allowed this at BT and actually I cannot think of any other board that I post on the Internet that does not allow it. I do not think I am comfortable posting on a board that does not allow it.

I think everyone will agree that Healthboards is probably the most moderated board on the Internet. By that I mean that members are not allowed any contact with each other, no e-mail addresses, no PMing, links are not allowed, other board names are not allowed to be mentioned on the threads, the list of things not allowed goes on and on. It is so restrictive that I refuse to post or read there. I find it too frustrating and there are better boards on the Internet, yet some people do post there.

I found this board open and inviting, but now midstream you suddenly changed the rules and I was not informed. You should have placed a sticky at the top of each forum and announced that you had changed the rules before making the changes. I do not check the Community and Forum Feedback usually. When the board first started I visited this forum occasionally to determine what was happening with BT and this board. I was very supportive of this board. I go to the spinal forum to see if there is a question that needs answered and then move on.

If I do not have control over my posts...I simply will not post...

GJZH,

If DocJohn is changing the rules "mid-stream", it's to give us an opportunity to decide if we want to expand the present status of this system that limits edits after 15 minutes or so. Since we got here, the system has restricted editing after a certain period of time. I only realized this when someone asked where their edit button went here in FF.

So DocJohn is actually engaging us to determine if we want a longer period to edit or unlimited ability to edit.

He runs PsychCentral in a certain way and has for years. That is the system he set up here, because it has worked for him at PsychCentral. But due to member concerns, he's decided to poll us to see if we want a longer period to edit our posts.

I'd say that's pretty generous of him. :)

I give DocJohn a lot of credit for being so accommodating with us and what we're used to. He hasn't changed any rules (editing was limited from the beginning), but he MAY change that if the majority of US would prefer to allow editing for an extended or unlimited period.

I think you might have misunderstood what was going on here. DocJohn is offering to give us MORE liberties here, not less.

I must say that I will enjoy seeing what comes of this.

I'm honestly of two minds:

First, if you only have one day to edit your words... perhaps you will be more thoughtful about them and it will mean less flaming. Also, those who choose not to be careful and are not kind to others on a consistent basis will be easy to identify.

However, some things might need to be edited if people are here long term. For example, if you want to tell the story of how you were diagnosed and how you found wellness, it would be nice to be able to post updates without taking up another whole space or having your 'story' chopped into pieces. There might be ways around that though... like a thread of your own... hmmm

Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to voice our opinions on the issue. :)

I also can see both sides...
 

For my own personal view... I can certainly understand DocJohn's, point of view, as an administrator.

And I would also like access to my own material to update it if it needs it.

If this does become a real possibility...DocJohn, and you do decide to try
unlimited edit time... and it leads to grief in some way for this venue, you
can always put it back to the 90 minutes or whatever you feel is best.

What I saw evolve at OBT was a very polite community in the beginning, and as time passed and the net expanded with internet links to OBT common, then the flamers became more frequent and things did change. So I would consider this place as dynamic in that way too. Nothing need be cast in stone at this point.

That is just my opinion.

After reading this message my impression is that a decision has not been made yet. My thought was that this post was an attempt to poll and/or question the members as to what do we want. What would out preference be. To give us the opportunity to have a say in what we want.

However, after reading what GJZH had to say it seemed that a decision has already been made. So now I am confused. GJZH I wonder if you received some type of communication or information to make you feel that a decision has already been made. Did I just misunderstand in thinking this post was for feedback and particpation by members in a pending decision????

Deborah

Hi debtoo,

The time limit for editing posts was changed a couple of days ago. However, members brought up concerns for the time limit and Doc John started the poll.

I hope that helps a bit?

It's good to meet you. :)

I run a tiny website and I've always allowed an unlimited timeframe for editing or deleting posts. I haven't had any problems in relation to this. I can see where it could be a problem with a larger site, but I think people should always have the option at any point in time of retracting or rethinking what they've written.

I've personally wished I hadn't been quite so open on the addiction forum at OBT, as I wrote about some issues that didn't need to be common knowledge in my workplace and I used the same screen name there as I am known by in my email addy. It could have caused me great distress professionally had the wrong person read what I wrote!

Hindsight is 20/20, so they say...

Thanks,
Dented Angel/Lisa

"There is danger in not expressing your feelings. There's an even greater danger in not knowing what they are..."

I'll add the same reminder here that I added in the toher thread...

IF DocJohn decided that there will be a time limit on editing posts, and IF there is something in a post of yours that needs to be edited after the time limit has expired, you can contact the moderator(s) of your forum and ask them to edit the post for you.

So, I just wanted to remind people that even if there is a time limit on editing, that nothing is set in stone, and moderators and administrators will always be happy to assist you if something needs editing at a later date.

If anyone has any questions regarding my thinking on this issue, please see this thread where I make an attempt to explain my concerns:

http://forums.braintalk2.org/showthread.php?t=1355

I will abide by the community's decision on this one. If we ever run into problems in the future, it's something that can easily be put up for further discussion at that time.

Best,
John