# How long can one edit a post?



## Joelline

Hi,

Just out of curiosity, for how long a time can one edit a post.  I just tried to edit one that was several days old (I forget how old), because another forero kindly pointed out a gender error, but there is no edit button available in the box for that post now.

Thank you,
Joelline


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## Jana337

The option expires after one week (maybe 8 days; I do not know). You can ask a moderator to do it for you. 

Jana


Update for 2018:

Currently,  you have 24 hours after the post was submitted to edit a post.  After that, the 'Edit' link disappears and you can report the post to ask a moderator to edit it for you.   

A side note: Please do not edit your post in a way that will make other people's responses seem strange.  You should add new information or comments in a new post.

Cagey, 
moderator


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## Joelline

Thank you, Jana.  If I ever have a post that really, really needs to be edited, I will be sure to take your advice and ask a Mod.  Usually, I catch my errors right *after* I've posted them, so I can fix them on the spot (because I don't take the time to read them over carefully!).  

Joelline


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## maxiogee

Should we be able to edit a post for that long?

I was in a heated discussion with someone recently (no surprise there!) and the following happened

X posted a message at 07:01
I read it, and began replying at 07:15
X edited the message at 07:27
I posted my reply at 07:45​Then a Mod came along and not unreasonably deleted my post
Reason: Response to edited post. No longer relevant.


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## Jana337

maxiogee said:
			
		

> Should we be able to edit a post for that long?
> 
> I was in a heated discussion with someone recently (no surprise there!) and the following happened.
> 
> Then a Mod came along and not unreasonably deleted my post
> Reason: Response to edited post. No longer relevant.


This happened in Culture, right? 

I think 7 days is more than we need (we used to have 3, which was just fine). But to solve the problem described above, less then 15 minutes would have to be enough, which is a bit too short for both language forums and Culture.

Jana


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## cuchuflete

Interesting question you ask Tony.  The modsquad were concerned about that as well.  Our conversation ended up with the thought that major edits to content and meaning are not a good idea, just because they can create the kind of incident you described. We also concluded that this sort of event has been quite rare.  Most editing is done to correct a minor mistake in spelling or grammar.

My own view as a forero is that if someone changes their mind about what they have written, it would be better for that person to copy and paste their previous text into a new post, use strikethrough to show what they would like to delete, and add whatever they have decided to say.  That would let the conversation continue without deleting posts.


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## maxiogee

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> My own view as a forero is that if someone changes their mind about what they have written, it would be better for that person to copy and paste their previous text into a new post, use strikethrough to show what they would like to delete, and add whatever they have decided to say.  That would let the conversation continue without deleting posts.



Good idea.
I too edit mainly for typos, I'm too grammatically-unaware to do much editing for grammar reasons, but once my babies are born I tend to leave them alone.

I wasn't complaining about the event which happened, by the way, just querying how it can be prevented from causing a heated outburst some time. I tend to use the quote facility in my more 'meaty' posts as I have fallen fould before of someone making me look stooopid when I have just said something like "I disagree and … " only to find that the post has disappeared.

Had I wanted to insist that my deleted post be re-instated, would that have been feasible? Is there a warehouse at the back of Mike Kellogg's place with all my sadly-missed off-topic posts are languishing?


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## cuchuflete

maxiogee said:
			
		

> Had I wanted to insist that my deleted post be re-instated, would that have been feasible? Is there a warehouse at the back of Mike Kellogg's place with all my sadly-missed off-topic posts are languishing?


I suppose we would have to look at any individual case and make a judgment call about reinstatement.   I don't quite get the point of restoring a reply to a now non-existent statement, other than to say, "Here's my reply to what so-and-so said before he changed his mind."
There is rumored to be a pile of deleted posts under the moderators' outhouse, but it has been quarantined by the Board of Health, and dealing with burrrocrats is no fun at all.  

There are exponential rumors that when enough good dark chocolate is involved......  Oh, never mind.


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## maxiogee

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> I don't quite get the point of restoring a reply to a now non-existent statement,



Whilst outwardly appearing to be a response to a deleted post, it could well have gone to the heart of whatever debate was being discussed. It could have taken quite some time to compose and I might not feel up to trying to re-formulate the same argument again.
(This is not about the actual deleted post - this is a mythic thread I'm considering.)


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## GenJen54

> It could have taken quite some time to compose and I might not feel up to trying to re-formulate the same argument again.



If it is simply a "deleted" post, and the post is still in the thread, but "out of view" to forer@s (it's been collapsed with a mod note), moderators generally have access to these and can, on occasion, if bribed with copious amounts of chocolate asked politely, copy and paste the contents then send you a copy via PM. 

That way you can edit your original thoughts without having to start the whole process over.


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## maxiogee

Thanks, Jeneralissimus, I was only enquiring about the mechanics, for future reference, or out of curiosity, or whatever. 
Good to know I don't have to install a keystroke recorder to save all my *bons mots.*


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## fabraga

It's not a week anymore. I wanted to edit my own message (a reply to some thread) right in the next day I posted it because I found a mistake but the edit button was already gone. 

How do I find out who is the moderator of that forum or of that thread so I can ask them to edit it for me? 

Thanks!


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## Peterdg

It is 24 hours now.


fabraga said:


> How do I find out who is the moderator of that forum or of that thread so I can ask them to edit it for me?


Go to the forum's main page (the page that lists the threads in the concerned forum). On the top right, just above the title "Last message", there is a link that says "Moderators". Click on it and you will see the moderators of the forum in question.


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## Kelly B

I usually click the "report" button on my post  and enter my requested change in the popup box. That way I don't have to guess which moderators in my favorite forums are available. Whoever is present can see the report and decide whether to take action.

(I don't suggest doing it often.)


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## fabraga

Kelly B said:


> I usually click the "report" button on my post  and enter my requested change in the popup box. That way I don't have to guess which moderators in my favorite forums are available. Whoever is present can see the report and decide whether to take action.
> 
> (I don't suggest doing it often.)


I thought of that. I tried reporting many times but never got an answer...


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## fabraga

Peterdg said:


> It is 24 hours now.
> 
> Go to the forum's main page (the page that lists the threads in the concerned forum). On the top right, just above the title "Last message", there is a link that says "Moderators". Click on it and you will see the moderators of the forum in question.


Thanks! I got a reply now.


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## chamyto

fabraga said:


> I thought of that. I tried reporting many times but never got an answer...



All reports are revised by moderators. Moderators will not send you a MP, unless required by you, if that is what you refer to. I don't get that point, though. The "answer" to a report post (that has to be edited after 24 hs) will  appear(or at least it appeared in old versions of the forum) with a note at the end of the post. I remember once I reported one post of mine, and at the bottom of the post was written something like: Requested by post's author.


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## swift

chamyto said:


> and at the bottom of the post was written something like: Requested by post's author.


Yes, the _edit reason_ went away when we transitioned to XenForo.
@mkellogg, is it possible to reinstate the _edit reason_? I would presume the scrip for this is similar to the _reason for deletion_.


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