Have we changed the time limit for edits again?

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If we could get everyone that helps in the homework forums to quote the student's posts when they reply, instead of just replying, we wouldn't have a problem.
 
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Also just had to repost a correction immediately after posting in HW.

That should be the LAST forum to have this limitation. When showing work, we usually need to use a lot of math markup. It's only natural that we screw up on it from time to time/every time.
 
1MileCrash said:
Also just had to repost a correction immediately after posting in HW.

That should be the LAST forum to have this limitation. When showing work, we usually need to use a lot of math markup. It's only natural that we screw up on it from time to time/every time.
Unfortunately students are getting help then deleting their posts, and it's becoming more frequent.

If we can get the helpers to quote the OP, we wouldn't have this problem.

I've posted requests for people to please hit the quote button when they reply, but they don't. Do you have any ideas on how we can get people to start using the quote button in homework help? Perhaps this will get peoples attention. Hitting quote is no harder than hitting reply. It is preferable that quote is used anyway.
 
Evo said:
...

Do you have any ideas on how we can get people to start using the quote button in homework help?

Have the first reply in the thread automatically quote the OP no matter what the helper has chosen to do. Is there a way to make the "New Reply" button check to see if it's the first response in a thread?
 
What about an "edit log" that a mod could use to revert it to a previous edit?

I'm sure such mods for vbulletin exist.

You could force someone to use the quote button by hiding the reply button in the HW board (if statement in template) but you couldn't stop anyone from just removing the quoted post in the text box.
 
1MileCrash said:
You could force someone to use the quote button by hiding the reply button in the HW board (if statement in template) but you couldn't stop anyone from just removing the quoted post in the text box.

Or we could simply direct the first reply to the quote function. Interesting idea. I may investigate that.
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
Or we could simply direct the first reply to the quote function. Interesting idea. I may investigate that.

That would be a great solution, if it could be done. Thanks Greg.

We also have the issue of posters using images hosted on other servers as part of their OP, and then taking them down after the problem is solved. It would be good if we could prevent this somehow within the capabilities of the vBulletin software.
 
Or remove the "new reply" button so the only option is quote?

berkeman said:
We also have the issue of posters using images hosted on other servers as part of their OP, and then taking them down after the problem is solved. It would be good if we could prevent this somehow within the capabilities of the vBulletin software.
Oh, good one Berke!
 
Someone can still use the "quick reply" box at the bottom to circumvent any restrictions placed on the buttons. Is there a way to remove the quick reply box from the homework section?
 
It could be similarly hidden.
 
vela said:
You could probably tweak the forum code to hide the edit button for the first post using CSS.

CSS can't differentiate between posts nor can it differentiate between boards (it's no dynamic language), you'd have to count the number of times the foreach was run in the php and only do that if the board was homework which would require another if statement.

I don't know much about vBulletin, but I was on the SMF development team and they are both MYSQL/PHP based bulletin boards and inherently similar. I'm sure all posts use the exact same coding under one foreach block - meaning the only way to differentiate them is to run a "counter" (a script that increments some value by 1 each time foreach is run) and then within the foreach, an if statement confirming that the value of that number is 1 - that is the first post.)
 
Alright. Thanks.

Edit:

Wait, I'm sorry but that's still not quite right. Ok, yesterday when I'm reading this thread I wanted to say, "look, I need edit privs cus' I often change my post so that it's easier to read, more clear, and adequately presented so that the reader can understand it." But then I saw you guys put the edit privs back. Well, in the thread above, I think the OP is going to get my y confussed with his y when really my y is just a general expression so I should have more clearly stated that by writing as the first sentence,

"Consider the general expression"

See, that's much more clearer and won't confuse him with what y's I'm talking about.

But that's ok. Don't want to bother you guys again to fix my post. Just leave it. I'm just saying, having edit privs would allow me to present something that is more successful in achiving the goal of presenting a difficult subject in a manner the reader adequately understands. And worst, sometimes they won't tell you they don't understand it neither. They're often too embarrassed to admit they're not getting it.
 
Last edited:
LCKurtz said:
Hey! Was that a private hug instead of a group hug? I didn't feel a thing...
{{{{hugs}}}} LCKurtz. :smile:
 
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.
 
Am I the only one who doesn't quite see how the ability to delete your post benefits cheaters in the homework section?
 
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!
 
. . . 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
. . . 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.
 
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?
 

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