Editing Reform

[Zor]

Given the new editing policy, i would like to put up a humble request to be put before the senate.

As we all know, a new policy involving editing has been introduced, in which anyone (unless their priveleges have been taken away) can edit their posts but only for ten minutes. While this is fine and dandy for getting rid of spelling mistakes while preventing editing for shady underhanded debate purposes, i would propose two minor changes...

1-Unlimited Editing in Fanfics -due to the fact that Fanfics are longer, editing to clean up details that are brought up latter (For example "Nice story, only the first model of Spitfires was armed with eight machineguns") and creative control of the writer
2-Unlimited Editing in Testing-as it does not matter either way there frankly

Is this request reasonable?

Zor

[Coyote]

I believe a form of this is being worked on, but there are some problems with the coding and it is simply technical snags keeping it from being implemented...

[loomer]

It is my opinion that this is a reasonable measure, but should also be extended to OT.

[MKSheppard]

I agree with unlimited editing in Fanfics, and would like to point out that it would be highly useful for some projects in HAB, like compiling a list of reference sources...

[Karmic Knight]

I believe a form of this is being worked on, but there are some problems with the coding and it is simply technical snags keeping it from being implemented...

You are referring to these:

Subject: [Vote] Post editing

Yup, you need to alter the software to allow unlimited edit times for certain users or forums. Two possibilities for this:

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=1223795
This is a mod, but it's an alpha.

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=1219315
This is an idea for hard-coding an exemption for certain forums (could probably be altered to produce an exemption for certain groups as well). Of course, hard-coding is bad programming practice, but it's not insecure; it's just ugly and makes programming purists cry bitter tears.

Subject: [Vote] Post editing

PM from a constituent:

I have a list of the forums that could use unlimited editing, if Mike can get it to work:

Fanfics and Completed and Cleaned up Fanfics, of course
Off-Topic
AMP
G&C, including the subforum for STGODs
ARSE
The Senate
Testing

and I guess whatever private forums previously allowed editing (all of them?)

I just thought I'd type up a list so you guys could refer to it.

I can't really speak to unlimited editing for all of these but I can absolutely get behind AMP, G&C, and Testing. The others I just don't post or have enough of a reference (aside from the Senate where I actually disagree) to form a solid opinion but I felt I should definately pass along some thoughts from the board at large.

Subject: [Vote] Post editing

My notion on what forums should have edit capability has generated a PM that, to me, makes an awful lot of sense after some thinking.

ARSE had unlimited editing before, and it might help if someone feels a need to edit out personal information they unintentionally left in, or later regret putting out.

Subject: [Vote] Post editing

Fanfics and Completed and Cleaned up Fanfics, of course
Off-Topic
AMP
STGOD subform.
The Senate
Testing

-- Those I'd support having unlimited editing, if we can only do it by forum.

Correct?

I agree with Duchess of Zeon over the other proposed systems, personally.

[CmdrWilkens]

I think that's the thread in question. Within that scope, as I mentioned at the top of the last page of the thread, there is rather clearly broad support for certain forums going to unlimited edits but until Mike can get everything coded in and tested its all wishful thinking. I concur that the idea is reasonable just not doable right at the moment.

[Hotfoot]

I had a reply ready, but got distracted while Karmic Knight summed it up perfectly, thereby saving me the trouble.

But yes, the vibe I'm getting is that right now Mike and the Admins are tinkering with the settings to get them "just so" and functional, and that in the process we're going to undergo some slight discomfort with regards to post editing.

[Shroom Man 777]

The Writer's Guild section also needs to have editing permissions allowed.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Might I suggest that if the code changes do get implemented that AM&P get added to the list of forums with unlimited editing capabilities? I know that i've needed to change links due to a host going down, the link getting out of date, or wanting to remove/replace certain photographs.

[Coyote]

Maybe we should just consider which forums should NOT allow editing!

Ummm... N&P? And..?

[Starglider]

Ummm... N&P? And..?

That leaves SLAM, SWvST, OSF and FAN, which is pretty reasonable. Edit problems only occur in forums where there are copious (a) debates and (b) trolls.

[Vendetta]

N&P, SLAM, and Versus, and possibly this board are the boards that need a "no takebacks" editing environment.

If Versus became a board of it's own, then you could have editing in OSF/FAN without trouble because they wouldn't spawn debates too often.

[Napoleon the Clown]

I don't overly care one way or the other. I largely ignore FanFics and never really bother editing anything in Testing anyway. In fact, I don't see a whole lot of post editing going on in Testing in the fist place.


I can see the utility in unlimited editing in FanFics, though. I think it's a good idea, but since I largely ignore FanFics I can't say if it'd be worth the trouble.

[Coyote]

I wonder if the architechture of the board software can allow us to put all the "no-edit" forums in one section, and leave everything else open? Like have one "Science, Politics & Civics" section with the HoC, Coliseum, Senate, N&P, and SLAM in them witha no-edit blanket policy.

[Starglider]

I wonder if the architechture of the board software can allow us to put all the "no-edit" forums in one section, and leave everything else open? Like have one "Science, Politics & Civics" section with the HoC, Coliseum, Senate, N&P, and SLAM in them witha no-edit blanket policy.

phpBB3 is quite straightforward; sensible suggestions are easy to patch in. So there's no real need to contort things just because the developers didn't anticipate this board's specific requirements.

[Vendetta]

phpBB3 is quite straightforward; sensible suggestions are easy to patch in. So there's no real need to contort things just because the developers didn't anticipate this board's specific requirements.

I think the suggestion has some merit if only from an interface presentational point of view, as having all the "no edit" fora in one block on the front page helps to view them as a group where the same rules apply.

Also, if other changes to the board go ahead, and PSW/PST/SWvST end up getting doomed or merged then the current front page layout might not be the best any more, so having it split between "Debate" fora and "Social" fora, rather than "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction" as it is now might make more sense.

[Adrian Laguna]

I would like editing in G&C. We had it for most of the board's life and it didn't cause problems, and since I occasionally do videogame after action reports (AARs), which are a bit like fanfics, it would be nice if I had more than 10 minutes to tinker with stuff after I've posted it, like if I want to switch images to another host or notice I forgot something the day after.

[Shroom Man 777]

Please, don't forget those private usergroups!

[Shroom Man 777]

I'm sorry for the double post, but I think the private forums like the Writer's Guild really need the edit function allowed like in Fanfics. Pretty pwease!

[Coyote]

Who can argue with a man who has an avatar of Donald Duck infected with the 28 Days Later "Rage" virus?

[Shroom Man 777]

No one, since my Donald Duck also has the answer to infection.

He has an axe.

I'm currently using the Writer's Guild as a place to post what I've written so far so I can see how well my stuff translates from an MS Word document to an actual forum post. I prefer reading it in forum format. If I can't edit my posts, I have to post new posts every time I want to see how something I've just written looks, either that or I just stick with the "preview" function, but that's tiresome.