edit button, constructive thoughts for the boss

[BigMadM]

Id never tell anyone how to run their business, and slinky knows I love this place, but let me explain a problem I find when posting here.

Its just a thought, Im not saying it will make people post more, but please let me at least post my view.

When I post, Im not always, and alot of times, surrounded in my house, my job, whatever, eyes are around, and I dont want people to know Im doing this.

If I write out a post, and then preview it, if someone walks in, I have to exit out quickly, lose the entire thing, and quite frankly, that sucks.

So I type it, and submit it.

Then I like to reread it, correct errors, or at least if I ommitted words while I was whizzing away to get it all in.

Ofcourse, some will say post shorter posts, but I cant, so when I go back if someone entered my personal space and I had to go off the site, I cant go back in and edit anymore. The 3 minutes I understand, but since alot of people are posting with eyes close by, maybe a 15 minutes edit, would allow people like me to post a little bit more at ease, knowing I can check it in 10 minutes, if someone walked in or the phone rang and I had to take a call.
Or if I had to go take a piss, I can come back and edit it, whatever, I just feel it may be easier for many to have a slightly larger window of edit time.

If this thread offends slinky or staff, just delete it, but it was just a thought, I was wondering if anyone felt like me about it, or if it dont matter.
Im not looking to start a war with management, I just find myself constantly avoiding certain posts cause Im not sure if Ill have time to do it and check it, so I sometimes skip it.

I thought it belonged here since this is an issue that has to do with the operations of this site, so perhaps its related to the sites well being.

[Slinky Bender]

You are correct. but this came about because of just about every single rule here on UG. We don't sit up nights thinking up new regulations: what happens is that people abuse the system and we are forced to come up with ways to stop it.

The first time there was any time limit at all was imposed because Judge Crater/Geezy Muldoon/etc,etc,etc went back and turned all of his prior posts into one word each. That begat a 1 hour time limit. Then others did similar things at shorter and shorter time intervals. The straw that broke the camnle's back was pretty much an entire thread where 2 posters went back and forth over some issue, and then went back and each deleted all of thier posts, making the thread into drivel. At that time we made the edit limit 1 minute (or zero?), and then relaxed it back to 3 minutes.

As with most things, no matter how stringent we make rules, people still try to find "loopholes" even though it's absa-fucking-lutely clear what the intent is on our part. So, each time we are forced to make the rules mor explicit and cumbersome (and for those who say "just ban anyone who does that", when we used to do that, we got shit for that, too).

[BigMadM]

thankyou for that clear explanation.

[billyS]

Slinky, all those incidents occurred when UG was a much more contentious place. It seems everyone agrees with my thread that UG has mellowed/matured and most of the combatants have either left, been kicked out or calmed the fuck down. As a parent there have been times when I needed to put my foot down and discontinue certain privileges, but then over time restored them when I felt it was the time to do so. I think the vast majority of posters here have no plans to abuse the edit rule and I for one ask you, politely, to please reconsider a longer editing time, perhaps an hour.

BMM, I don’t know if this helps you but sometimes I’ll write my posts in Word where I can close the window should I get interrupted. You don’t need to save it and the box on the task bar only say Document1. When I write a review I try to do it this way because my spelling sucks and then I can reread it and make sure I didn’t leave anything out before I post it by cut and pasting it. Plus you don’t even have to have Explorer or even UG open while you are typing.

[stevana]

I thought BMM had a good point (that is, consistent with my preferences) but I now understand and support why things are the way they are. I just need to be careful before I post a reply.

[Slinky Bender]

Slinky, all those incidents occurred when UG was a much more contentious place. It seems everyone agrees with my thread that UG has mellowed/matured and most of the combatants have either left, been kicked out or calmed the fuck down. As a parent there have been times when I needed to put my foot down and discontinue certain privileges, but then over time restored them when I felt it was the time to do so. I think the vast majority of posters here have no plans to abuse the edit rule and I for one ask you, politely, to please reconsider a longer editing time, perhaps an hour.

It's hard to tell since they get deleted, but there has been no downturn in the number of posts which need to be moderated here (and it's entirely possible the reason things seem less contentious is from more moderation rather than less postings which would cause distress).

[donquixote04]

This was just duplicative of another post further up. ("never mind")

[billyS]

It's hard to tell since they get deleted, but there has been no downturn in the number of posts which need to be moderated here (and it's entirely possible the reason things seem less contentious is from more moderation rather than less postings which would cause distress).

I'll take that as a no.

[Gavvy Cravath]

I have lost quite a number of posts and started "copying" the real lengthy posts. Perhaps this can help you self edit?

Gavy

[Lou Grant]

I have lost quite a number of posts and started "copying" the real lengthy posts. Perhaps this can help you self edit?

Gavy

I believe it was either Slinky or someone else (was that just rhetorical or what) that advised the best way to give yourself the edit option is to use a word procesor like Word, etc. Gives you a chance to revisit your drafts and make any corrections, plus if you are in a crowed area, (home) there is not much of a chance that your activity will be discovered, unless your mate likes to read what you write.

In re: to what BMM was originally alluding to, this is especially helpful as he likes to give us more than the one or two line posts.

[justbill_redux]

I have lost quite a number of posts and started "copying" the real lengthy posts. Perhaps this can help you self edit?

Gavy

Good idea but theres a problem with that, any information copied will stay in the clipboard until you shut down or dump it, ready to be pasted by anyone. Using a word processor could also be a problem unless you lock those documents with a password. A good and free alternate is to use Google Writely, online word processing that gives you full WP functionality, saves automatically and available from any computer and all you have to do is close a browser window to keep prying eyes off it.

[BigMadM]

when I went to college, I was always told to just give what asked.
If a question was a simple yes or no, dont add anything.
The more you might do, the chances of making an error increase.

If I start using word programs, and perhaps move away, I might forget its in a paste, or its still there, I cant start password protecting word programs, it will raise tons of suspicion.

Ill just type slower and try to be more to the point, or wait till Im alone.

[Hyabby]

Good idea but theres a problem with that, any information copied will stay in the clipboard until you shut down or dump it, ready to be pasted by anyone. Using a word processor could also be a problem unless you lock those documents with a password.

But clearing the clipboard is simple - after pasting, just copy a single character into the clipboard, which blows away what was there. As for the saved WP document - don't save it!

[Lou Grant]

A good and free alternate is to use Google Writely, online word processing that gives you full WP functionality, saves automatically and available from any computer and all you have to do is close a browser window to keep prying eyes off it.
Good idea. Go Google!

[justbill_redux]

But clearing the clipboard is simple - after pasting, just copy a single character into the clipboard, which blows away what was there.

Not if

If I write out a post, and then preview it, if someone walks in, I have to exit out quickly, lose the entire thing, and quite frankly, that sucks.


or you just forget to do it 1 time

[Slinky Bender]

do it 1 time

But do they call me MacGillicuddy the philanthropist? Nooooooooooo......

[justbill_redux]

But do they call me MacGillicuddy the philanthropist? Nooooooooooo......

Whats that flying over my head??? A MacGillicuddy.