Editing Other User's Posts
I'm sure that this has been said before, but editing people's posts are extremely crucial for forums. I have seen excuses such as "It is to protect/preserve free speech." This is generally incorrect, because if there is an admin that changes legitimate posts to some type of offensive bullshit, why does that person even have administration powers? It happens, but not among many forums at all, and those problems are solved among themselves. Every PHPBB forum I've ever been on allows post editing, and this should be no exception, considering that I've rarely encountered problems with that kind of thing. For example, if there's a thread about something such as Sony Vegas, and a person shows a link to a crack for it on the internet, but BELOW gives a very legitimate and contributing statement to the thread, why must an admin delete the post and then put a post all the way at the bottom of the thread, saying "This is what he/she said earlier, in between these two people's posts". If you want to preserve and protect free speech, maybe you shouldn't let admins delete posts. That's removing free speech, isn't it? Even if a small change was made, so that once an admin edited a post, it said "THIS POST WAS EDITED BY AN ADMIN" on the bottom automatically, I don't think anyone would care. This is just a must for forums, because the preservation of free speech is the least of any poster's concerns. I have been on over 30 active forums, and not once have I had my post edited to something else unless what I said was extremely offensive. If someone is flaming another, and saying extremely offensive things, I don't see why an admin can't edit the post saying something like *Edited for content*.
Allowing post editing is nothing serious in the big picture, and unless your extremely assholish to your users (which I don't see why anyone would, because the users would only leave the forums). In small occasions, though, and there are quite a few of them, editing posts is extremely crucial to a forum.
If you have any examples of post editing being abused in an otherwise normal forum, please show me, as I'm interested in seeing them.
Yes, it's all been said before, and I agree with some of your points... However, I don't see this policy changing any time soon...
There's the official line here :
http://support.lefora.com/2008/10/08/frequently-asked-questions-w-answers/1312551/
CJO.
For whatever reason, each forum has it's rules and the rule here on Lefora is that Posts cannot be edited by anyone but the poster and only for 15 minutes. Admins and Founders cannot edit anyone else's posts only their own.
Posts can be moderated by Marking as SPAM or DELETION.
If an Admin is abusing the editing of their own posts then the Founder can demote the admin to a moderator who has to obey the 15 minute rule too. Further abuse equals further demotion or banning. One has to wonder why an Admin is approved by a Founder without agreeing on etiquette and code of practice.
So that's the way it is here on Lefora and it's not going to change.
If an Admin is abusing the editing of their own posts then the Founder can demote the admin to a moderator who has to obey the 15 minute rule too.
-hal9000
How the hell can you edit abuse your own post?
By going back and changing your posts to say something different.
My comment was based on the way things work here related to your comment:
...This is generally incorrect, because if there is an admin that changes legitimate posts to some type of offensive bullshit, why does that person even have administration powers?...
-fumples
What about implementing a language filter to automatically omit a predetermined list of offensive words?
Zakclo, please see http://support.lefora.com/2009/02/23/language-filter/page1/ .
CJO.
I should have known it was already posted, and that you'd give me a link 
It's just that I've read most of them, so I know they're kicking about somewhere.... 
Yep. A forum Admin must have the ability to edit a users posts. Most members are too lazy to repost after deleting the previous post.
It will never happen on Lefora. It has been debated many times and that's just the way it is.Yep. A forum Admin must have the ability to edit a users posts. Most members are too lazy to repost after deleting the previous post.
-maxim9691
I need to edit just for spelling issues using there instead of their.....posting a wrong link etc... as founder I think I should have the ability to correct false links and general errors in a members post . It is annoying not to be able to change and error and trying to explain to the member to re-post with correct info is also annoying as they don't understand my request. Leaves me the only option of deleting and re-posting....not what I want to do. Takes the posting credit from that member.
As I said before, it will never happen, Lefora are adamant on that. Best you can do is use the QUOTE function to show the original poster and the errors and then correct them. Once posted, delete the original.I need to edit just for spelling issues using there instead oftheir.....posting a wrong link etc... as founder I think I should havethe ability to correct false links and general errors in a members post. It is annoying not to be able to change and error and trying toexplain to the member to re-post with correct info is also annoying asthey don't understand my request. Leaves me the only option ofdeleting and re-posting....not what I want to do. Takes the postingcredit from that member.
-lauralee
there is a bit of reasoning behind this that you can read here:
http://support.lefora.com/2008/10/08/frequently-asked-questions-w-answers/page1/#post1312551
In order to preserve speech and preserve integrity of a discussion, an admin cannot edit another member's post on Lefora. However, the admin can delete the post (or mark it as spam if applicable). It remains our policy that you cannot edit another users post as the post belongs to the user, if it's inappropriate it can be hidden by your members with thumbs down, or deleted by admins. If it's incorrect information a simple post below with the correct information will do. In any situation talk to the original poster, rather than changing their words without permission.
We find it actually helps keep the forums running smoothly, there's no edit wars, there's no opportunity to get angry at someone changing the meaning of your original message, and if the forum members make full use of the thumbing down feature then there's even less work for admins to do to remove inappropriate posts.
In the future, we'll probably add post updating options available to the member who authored the post and the admin. We're not trying to frustrate any admins and we have plans to add more options in the future, that would allow an admin to make an update, but preserve the speech of the original author.
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