[jg18]

I've posted a revised version of the FSO manual install instructions on Windows. I'd like to be able to update it over time, but since the thread is locked, I can't edit it, even though it's my post. To make any changes to it, I have to ask a moderator or admin to change it for me.

So, as the subject says, can we edit our posts if they're in locked threads?

Thanks for your consideration.

[TopAce]

There's a good reason for this. Imagine that you post something foolish, which results in the thread locked. You can't edit your post to make it seem you weren't responsible.

[Black Wolf]

Yeah, basically. And it stops flame wars continuing via edit. Post the new version of the post on here and I'll edit it in for you if you want.

[jg18]

Makes sense. I wasn't sure whether the purpose of locking a thread was just to prevent further replies or to keep the thread frozen in time, so to speak.

And thanks, Black Wolf. I don't have a new version ready yet, but I'll post it here when I do. The full post is kind of long, but copying and pasting is easy enough.

[Zacam]

If you pastebin it, you can add me to the list of people to ping to update.

[jg18]

Thanks, Zacam! And yeah, pastebin makes more sense than posting it here.

[Mr. Vega]

There's a good reason for this. Imagine that you post something foolish, which results in the thread locked. You can't edit your post to make it seem you weren't responsible.

You're restricting a useful feature to prevent a very nebulous kind of harm. Who cares if someone bothers to go through all their posts to make himself look better? People still know what happened. That's burning the house down to get rid of a few termites.

[Qent]

Still more harm than use IMHO.

Why not just have separate flags for allowing replies and edits? Surely some forum software somewhere has done that....

[karajorma]

People still know what happened.

Who knows?

I don't know about the rest of you but even though I have the largest post count on here I still don't monitor HLP 24/7.

[Mongoose]

And we kind of have a living example as to what happens when someone goes back and edits everything they've ever posted.

[NGTM-1R]

There is that, yes.

[Mr. Vega]

I don't even remember that. Can someone clarify my memory, please?

[NGTM-1R]

I don't even remember that. Can someone clarify my memory, please?

High Max went back and deleted all his posts he could (those in unlocked threads), edited those he could not into a single smiley (those in locked threads). Many threads he was a participant in are a wreck as a result, with his replies only preserved where quoted.

This is why the current system has been created, I'd guess.

[Droid803]

I'm honestly rather baffled why he would bother editing every single one of his posts.
People have done stranger things, I guess...

[jr2]

I take it there is no option in SMF to revert all changes made by a user within a specified timeframe?

[Iss Mneur]

I doubt it.  SMF is forum software, it is not wiki software so it doesn't save anything (except for deleted posts and threads, but even that is not permanent and only accessible to the admins).

[Goober5000]

It's possible to selectively restore a user's posts, but I don't think we have backups from that long ago.  Even if we did, it would have to be done on the raw database, not from within the forum.

[Iss Mneur]

It's possible to selectively restore a user's posts, but I don't think we have backups from that long ago.  Even if we did, it would have to be done on the raw database, not from within the forum.

If you are talking about doing it to the raw database, I assume you are talking about using the database backup to restore the posts?  If so, while doable, it would be enough work that the admin doing it would have to have a very specific reason to do so, it would not be a casual "revert" by any moderator/user like on a wiki.

At that, I doubt HLP makes a backup of the database more than once a day, which would help in the case of someone blanking/deleting his posts from long ago, but doesn't really address the other shorter term abuse possible.

[The E]

The good thing is that the number of people abusing this feature is pretty low, and it's usually not worth the effort in those cases where it does happen.