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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that MNHQ is long overdue in providing an 'edit' function for posts?

52 replies

MeetMeInMontauk · 01/09/2019 08:04

Full disclosure: my disproportionate concern about this matter is almost certainly tied into my lack of self esteem and blind panic about embarrassing myself in a public fashion

However, having said that, MN is literally the only forum that I have ever been a member of that doesn't allow for editing typos, poor grammar etc. after hitting the Post button. Whilst this can sometimes be the source of hilarious 'boil-in-the-vag curry' type humour, the constant vigilance that I have to exercise before posting, knowing that I get no do-over in the event of an egregious error, causes me to have a constant slight eye twitch. Anyone else feel the same, or knows if there is some arcane reason why the edit function has been disabled? My first-world problemometer is going crazy over here.

frantically checks OP for mistakes before starting thread

OP posts:

HiddenRobins · 01/09/2019 14:18

MN surely must be the only forum on the internet without an edit function.

It's a pretty basic thing to have on a talk board.

WaterSheep · 01/09/2019 14:25

I do think some are very hesitant to change on this site. A lot of other sites allow edits within a specific time frame, and state in the original posts when edits were made.

So it would be very clear that the OP has altered their original posts.

I also agree with U2. I really don't remember users ever suggesting a vote button, yet MNHQ added it.

Mysterian · 01/09/2019 14:30

Post 1. Who likes baking?

Post 2. I do! I'm at it every weekend.

OP changes post 1 to
Post 1. Who likes paedophilia?

Bluntness100 · 01/09/2019 14:33

This has been asked before and the response from mnhq is it will not be provided as it would be abused, I think that's fair enough.

LaMarschallin · 01/09/2019 14:39

I would love to be able to correct my punctuation or add in the odd "is" or something.

But as has been said, it's important that the original post should stand showing how it's been edited.

Otherwise there's a lot of scope for:
"You said X!"
"No, I didn't - look!".

On a message board on which I used to post it was very easy to remove a post.
One incident included a poster said: "Of course I didn't look when my partner's 17 year old daughter was sunbathing topless. WINK!".

I saw it immediately it was posted and asked about it as did several others.
The post vanished and the poster subsequently altered the story on several occasions:
She was 19 not 17.
It was at a party.
Where her mother was present.
And her boyfriend...
They hadn't put WINK!

And nobody could prove what the original said of course.

LaMarschallin · 01/09/2019 14:40

See! Now I want to edit "said" to "saying"!

WombleishOfThigh · 01/09/2019 14:42

No knead four a edit fiction. You'd end up having to cunt for the bottom to clack in and waist to muck thyme. You have too mak stew that you right you're post property the fist Tim.

DGRossetti · 01/09/2019 15:40

On other forums (they do exist), the edit function:

is time limited
can't be used once a post has a reply
leaves a clear note at the foot of the post saying "Edited by date:time" with space for the editor (which can only be the OP or a moderator) for a one-line decription.

Mind you, they also provide for threaded views, and poster blocking.

All of that being said, no other forum I know of allows name changing like MN. Which I think is integral to posters being able to open up and share and give support. So it's possibly a question of swings and roundabouts.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 01/09/2019 15:43

No.

There's not enough buns in the world, especially considering the Brexit shortages for the fights that will ensue once posters start amending their posts.

FinallyHere · 01/09/2019 17:43

For anyone who really struggles with the absence of an edit function, I recommend writing the post elsewhere, say in an email.

Proofreading it yourself then copy/pasting it into MN.

DGRossetti · 01/09/2019 17:47

I think a lot of people post on the app, which would mean trying to cut and paste on a smartphone or tablet ...

FinallyHere · 01/09/2019 17:51

Absolutely, DGRossetti, I mostly use the app too: cut/paste readily available.

Tap the screen to bring up the menu, Select All, then Copy. Back to MN, tap the screen and select paste. What's not to like ?

Cornettoninja · 01/09/2019 17:56

There’s a few things that are standard on other forums that MN members seem highly resistant to. I would like a time limited edit function and for the post to be marked as edited.

I’d also, in the spirit of compromise, would like to have members join date/year next to the username but keep the name change facility because people like it so much. I realise that that causes friction in some cases but I’d rather be slightly wary of newer posters than read a thread full of troll hunters and disbelieving sarcasm.

WaterSheep · 01/09/2019 18:16

There’s a few things that are standard on other forums that MN members seem highly resistant to.

I agree with this. There's a definite air of this is the way we do things, no need for change.

LadyOfTheCanyon · 01/09/2019 19:26

Someone only has to change "did" to " didn't" in a post to fuck up the whole premise of it.

Much as I love you lot, I'm not prepared to go back and re read your amended posts indefinitely because you couldn't be arsed to proofread . Just take a second before you hit send to check what you've written. Mostly people can get the sense of a post with bad spelling and grammar.

31RueCambon75001 · 01/09/2019 19:28

I agree. It is the reason i have to name change so often. Drives me nuts

HelenaDove · 01/09/2019 19:54

Its a no from me. Some posters already try to gaslight without an edit function Having one would make this worse.

U2HasTheEdge · 03/09/2019 17:42

It wouldn't Helena, if it was a timed edit function.

DGRossetti · 03/09/2019 17:52

It wouldn't Helena, if it was a timed edit function.

Which would disappear the moment another reply was posted anyway. "Fixing" all previous replies, so it's not possible to reword a previous post once it's been responded to.

I guess editable posts, threaded views and blocking posters isn't mainstream enough - I just use a lot of tech forums where it's the norm.

BlueSuffragette · 03/09/2019 18:25

Can we have a like button for individual posts?

CodenameVillanelle · 03/09/2019 18:27

No like button!

category12 · 03/09/2019 18:29

No, people would just edit their posts to pretend they hadn't said things.

The amount of people who would post questions and then hilariously change their initial post when they got answers would become wearisome.

And that's aside from the less playful reasons people would edit things.

Post and be damned.

category12 · 03/09/2019 18:31

I also bloody hate threaded views.

Cornettoninja · 03/09/2019 18:52

No, people would just edit their posts to pretend they hadn't said things

It’s my understanding that the forums administrators would be able to see any changes and generally that counts as trolling.

Tbh I don’t think it would be as much of a problem as people seem to think it would be.

WaterSheep · 03/09/2019 18:54

Tbh I don’t think it would be as much of a problem as people seem to think it would be.

I wholeheartedly agree. It really doesn't seem to be a problem on other forums that I use.

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