Time-Limited edit on posts?

[Frindis]

I have a thread I am trying to update about free games - https://forums.pcgamer.com/threads/the-free-games-list.2301/, but I cannot edit it anymore. If it is time-limited I would definitely put a vote for changing it or at least have that possibility for threads that would need to be updated for specific reasons. If this is not a possibility, I would very much appreciate the possibility to change it one last time (or have someone change it for me), so people will know updates will follow below the original post.

 

[SHaines]

Hey there,

We have added a time limit on editing older posts. It's a tool used by some spammers who create normal posts, wait a week or two, then update the threads with spam/malicious links in the hopes our Spam security and Moderators will not notice.

You can reply to your own thread with the updated info, even if you can't edit the original post. If the changes are vital or urgent, feel free to ping me and let me know why the change is so important so we can determine how to move forward.

 

[Frindis]

@SHaines Thank you for the fast response and highly understandable. I take my vote back

 

[Lee_Bo]

Hey there,

We have added a time limit on editing older posts. It's a tool used by some spammers who create normal posts, wait a week or two, then update the threads with spam/malicious links in the hopes our Spam security and Moderators will not notice.

You can reply to your own thread with the updated info, even if you can't edit the original post. If the changes are vital or urgent, feel free to ping me and let me know why the change is so important so we can determine how to move forward.

Love this. It really does help out.

 

[Colif]

wait a week or two

Or many years... set up an account and just not use it until its needed.

 

[Lee_Bo]

Or many years... set up an account and just not use it until its needed.

And their #1 post is a spam post.

 

[Dan]

I definitely see the reason for not allowing edits, but I still think it would be better to allow them. In other forums, I have started threads for certain games that I continue to edit the original post of. Adding things such as new guides and useful tips for new players, so they don't have to trawl through the entire thread.

Spammers will spam no matter if you stop them from editing posts. If they do, the post will be reported and removed. Some may slip through the cracks, but I think the ability for pros of the thread creators to actually manage their thread outweigh the cons.

 

[Colif]

Other forums using same software allow people to edit threads but it then adds an extra layer as most edits by users with a low post count need to be approved by mods. As we don't have that many mods here, putting threads into that status would make them disappear for the users until approved by a mod/admin. That could (and does) sometimes make op think original post is gone and they recreate it.

On other forums with 40+ mods., posts don't often sit in that state for long but it can happen in quieter times. Here they would be stuck for hours.

It is likely a better answer to just exclude ability to edit rather than get a load of duplicate posts and have users be warned about duplicates that aren't exactly their fault.

 

[Hveðrungr]

Could you just restrict the ability to edit post titles to users with more than a set number of posts?

 

[SHaines]

Could you just restrict the ability to edit post titles to users with more than a set number of posts?

I'm pretty sure we just have the option to set a specific period for all users, but I can dig into it further. I'll check in once I know for sure.