Have we changed the time limit for edits again?

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AI Thread Summary
The edit time limit for posts has been changed to 2 hours to prevent users from deleting homework questions after receiving help. This new restriction has raised concerns among users who feel it may hinder their ability to correct mistakes or clarify their answers. While some believe the change will not significantly inconvenience regular users, others express frustration over the limited editing window, especially in the homework forums. Suggestions have been made for a short grace period for edits or the ability to indicate corrections later. Overall, the community is adjusting to the new rules while discussing potential improvements for user experience.
  • #51
So I don't help much in homework [either because the questions have all ready been answered, or just plain don't know how to answer it (Yes, PF Homework Help Sections make me feel very stupid lol)]. However when I do find myself posting in the Homework Help, I constantly edit my answers probably for the same reasons as other people do (either make a mistake or just want to add more info to make what I said clearer). I did read what Evo said about the Quote button, which I will keep in mind next time I answer a question in that subforum. I have read most of the discussion here and I would like to propose an idea. Sorry if I have skipped it but from the looks of it, it has not been brought up. What if we take out the option of original posters unable to delete the threads, but still leave the edit button? Then again, they would be able to delete what they wrote down (I don't see why they should though). Just a thought. I don't like quoting much unless there is a mistake in a line somewhere.
 
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  • #52
Ivan92 said:
What if we take out the option of original posters unable to delete the threads, but still leave the edit button?
That is the problem. OPs delete the question by editing everything out of it. Unfortunately we can't just remove the edit function for HH OPs.
 
  • #53
Am I the only one who doesn't quite see how the ability to delete your post benefits cheaters in the homework section?
 
  • #54
QuarkCharmer said:
Am I the only one who doesn't quite see how the ability to delete your post benefits cheaters in the homework section?

Sometimes professors search for their homework exams on the internet. If they see a thread with their question on, then they know that it is one of their students who have cheated. But if the students delete their posts, then the professor can't find them and don't know whether they cheated. This happens more frequently than you think!
 
  • #55
Evo said:
{{{{hugs}}}} LCKurtz. :smile:

Ahhh. That's as good as a simulated hug gets. :!)
 
  • #56
. . . got another scenario: So I post in the homework section. Hit the submit button but then I notice a bonifide homework helper just posted a helpful hint right before me. So as a curtesy, I go back. I'm lookin', I'm lookin', lookin' and don't find the delete key anymore but then I remember, hey, I can't edit, I can't delete neither. So now this homeworke helper thinks, "this smart-ellic Jack, he's just sayin' what I just said."

Awkward situation.
 
  • #57
jackmell said:
. . . got another scenario: So I post in the homework section. Hit the submit button but then I notice a bonifide homework helper just posted a helpful hint right before me. So as a curtesy, I go back. I'm lookin', I'm lookin', lookin' and don't find the delete key anymore but then I remember, hey, I can't edit, I can't delete neither. So now this homeworke helper thinks, "this smart-ellic Jack, he's just sayin' what I just said."

Awkward situation.

That happens quite a lot. Nobody will think that you copied the answer of the HH. It's just a coincidence.
 
  • #58
It does seem to me that this problem should be fixed by modifying the software rather than forcing the forum users to accommodate a current limitation in the software. It's not exactly brain surgery to tweak the forum code to disable the edit button on the first post.
 
  • #59
. . . great. Now I just made a mistake with a little 8-grade quadratic formula, right below Hall to make matters worst. No, no. Don't go fixin' it. I don't want anybody meeting my "special needs" in here. Just leave it and let Hall give me a schoolin' that's all.
 
  • #60
1 question:
When someone who posted and edit/delete his post right after getting the answer... Can admins set the original post back up as it was originally posted? I know in another forum admins can do that. If this is so in this forum too, why not put 1 day long as time limit to edit a post?
 
  • #61
fluidistic said:
1 question:
When someone who posted and edit/delete his post right after getting the answer... Can admins set the original post back up as it was originally posted? I know in another forum admins can do that. If this is so in this forum too, why not put 1 day long as time limit to edit a post?
The limit was 700 minutes. Homework helpers are too good. Maybe we put all new homework posts into moderation for 9 hours. That will also solve the problem of students saying I need an answer in 1 hour! :-p
 
  • #62
micromass said:
Sometimes professors search for their homework exams on the internet. If they see a thread with their question on, then they know that it is one of their students who have cheated.

A different solution to that issue: automatically copy the OP's post to another thread which can't be edited or posted to by anybody, but can be searched.

You would only need say one "cumulative" thread per day, not a separate duplicate thread for every HW question.
 
  • #63
All first replies in the homework forums now quote the OP. Edit permissions have been restored to regular members.
 
  • #64
Greg Bernhardt said:
All first replies in the homework forums now quote the OP. Edit permissions have been restored to regular members.
Fantastic! Thank you so much Greg! And thanks to everyone for the suggestions!
 
  • #65
Greg Bernhardt said:
All first replies in the homework forums now quote the OP. Edit permissions have been restored to regular members.
Hm, will this really work? I suppose you can make sure that all the SAs and HHs will know that they should quote the post in its entirety, but a lot of people will probably just think "where the bleep is the reply button? I guess I'll just use this quick reply box." And even if they use the quote button, they may have been told in other places that you should always delete everything between the quote tags except the specific statement or question they're replying to.
 
  • #66
Yeah, I just noticed I usually start with the quick-reply box.
 
  • #67
Ok. Thanks. I mean just one very short post I made this morning I edited five times to get as best I could to be as understandable as possible. You just don't notice how it reads until you see it a few times and go over it and think about it a while then notice you could change things to make it more easily understood by your intended audience.
 
  • #68
Greg Bernhardt said:
All first replies in the homework forums now quote the OP. Edit permissions have been restored to regular members.

Wonderful Greg!
 
  • #69
Greg Bernhardt said:
All first replies in the homework forums now quote the OP.

I'm not seeing this on threads that were started this morning. :confused:
 
  • #70
  • #72
Greg Bernhardt said:
It's working, you can test yourself. Members must be manually deleting the quote.
Nope not working

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=558220

I used the quick reply option that most HHs use.

And if a member can delete the autoquote, then it doesn't help.

But I am not finding any autoquote. Anyone else finding an auto quote when you make a first reply?
 
  • #73
Evo said:
Nope not working

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=558220

I used the quick reply option that most HHs use.

And if a member can delete the autoquote, then it doesn't help.

But I am not finding any autoquote. Anyone else finding an auto quote when you make a first reply?

It works if you click the new reply button and it simply fills in the message box with the quote.
 
  • #74
Greg Bernhardt said:
It works if you click the new reply button and it simply fills in the message box with the quote.
Can we get rid of the "quick reply" box then? Or make the quick reply box also autoquote?

And thanks to some HHs that have started to use the "quote" button. :approve:
 
  • #75
Just bring back the old system! I have cleared my cookies, and washed my disk. I find a post, not for the first time have logged into get the answer button written my answer, must have taken 15-20 min to do so, forgot to save it, went to view, got invited to log in again, did so, lost my answer. This has now happened several times, I've had enough wasted time!

Often finish up with PF Physics For...X in my thingbar if I press the back button a thing goes round and round for ever, or else I get just a blank screed, maybe my browser, Firefox can't handle the site but it could perfectly before the changes.

Is it intentional that you have to re-log in several times a day? Or even while looking at and answering one thread?

It's no good like this or else it needs instructions for dummies.
 
  • #76
epenguin said:
Just bring back the old system! I have cleared my cookies, and washed my disk. I find a post, not for the first time have logged into get the answer button written my answer, must have taken 15-20 min to do so, forgot to save it, went to view, got invited to log in again, did so, lost my answer. This has now happened several times, I've had enough wasted time!

Often finish up with PF Physics For...X in my thingbar if I press the back button a thing goes round and round for ever, or else I get just a blank screed, maybe my browser, Firefox can't handle the site but it could perfectly before the changes.

Is it intentional that you have to re-log in several times a day? Or even while looking at and answering one thread?

It's no good like this or else it needs instructions for dummies.

Did you press the "Remember Me" Button?? It prevents you from logging out!
 
  • #78
Does the problem with deleting initial posts usually only occur with new posters? That is, someone joins, posts a question or two, then tries to erase their tracks? If so, perhaps the edit option could be suppressed for posters with fewer than, say, 15 posts (pick a number). After they become regular users and they've acquired a footprint the motivation for deleting posts should be gone (or evolved to be based upon more altruistic reasons).
 
  • #79
gneill said:
Does the problem with deleting initial posts usually only occur with new posters? That is, someone joins, posts a question or two, then tries to erase their tracks? If so, perhaps the edit option could be suppressed for posters with fewer than, say, 15 posts (pick a number). After they become regular users and they've acquired a footprint the motivation for deleting posts should be gone (or evolved to be based upon more altruistic reasons).
Yes, it's mostly new members.
 
  • #80
micromass said:
Did you press the "Remember Me" Button?? It prevents you from logging out!

Yes, I press it every time.
 
  • #81
Regarding the issue of deleting posts once their question has been answered,
Evo said:
Yes, it's mostly new members.
On the basic homework help forums, I'm surprised by how many threads get started by users with a posting history of fewer than 6 or 7 posts. This raises the question: are they creating a new login name each time they wish to ask a new question, or are newcomers finding that the forum doesn't provide the immediacy of assistance they'd hoped for and drift away, meaning they never go on to accumulate even a two digit posting history?
 
  • #82
NascentOxygen said:
Regarding the issue of deleting posts once their question has been answered,

On the basic homework help forums, I'm surprised by how many threads get started by users with a posting history of fewer than 6 or 7 posts. This raises the question: are they creating a new login name each time they wish to ask a new question, or are newcomers finding that the forum doesn't provide the immediacy of assistance they'd hoped for and drift away, meaning they never go on to accumulate even a two digit posting history?
If it is the same person we would know. I think it's more of a case of students wanting help for a particular problem only, after they get help they never come back.
 
  • #83
Ryan_m_b said:
If it is the same person we would know.

How would we know?
 
  • #84
I like Serena said:
How would we know?
The mentors have various means of detecting sockpuppets. On top of that there are various members who are good at telling this just by posting behaviour.
 

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