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WordPress.com Forums » Ideas

A way to edit comments in other people's posts - please!

  1. absurdoldbird
    Member

    Really, it's time WordPress.com brought in the ability for people to edit their own comments in other people's blogs. Even if it had a short time frame within which it can be edited, for instance two or three minutes, it would be better than nothing.

    There are so many people who are dyslexic and make stupid typos (myself included) or forget something they'd wanted to say only to remember it after they've clicked the button to post their comment, and it's incredibly frustrating not to be able to edit the comment.

    I'm going to mark this modlook (if that's possible in the ideas forum) as I want staff to see this. I mean, really it is about time this was done.

    If anyone else would like to support me with this idea, please say so.

    The blog I need help with is artyoldbird.com.

  2. sensuousinkspiller
    Member

    I completely agree!

    At the very least, a "preview" option, and if not, the time frame idea is a great one, since it really is about seeing my stupid typos or missed words that makes my head hit the desk. More than a few minutes, well... I can see where that could cause problems - I don't want someone coming back weeks later, and changing what they wrote.

    As it stands now, I'm often "editing" comments from people, simply to fix their typos and such. I'm happy to do it for them, but it would be so much easier if they could do it themselves!

    (I also wish they would allow the some of the same options that we have in the forums, for "strong" and "em" and "link" and "quote"...)

  3. absurdoldbird
    Member

    You can already use the formatting options, but you've got to do it in HTML yourself, which the average person doesn't know (or understand how to use even when given an example a lot of the time).

    Actually a rich-text editor for comments would be a great addition too.

  4. roughseasinthemed
    Member

    As I remember you could preview and edit in blogger (a rare advantage there over WP).

    I also spend time editing other people's comments, either for obvious typos or if they ask and have missed them. I don't need my comments cluttered with 'please fix this error'.

    I do use the html in comments - so for seriousinkspiller, you just need to choose strong or em, for example, and before the word you write < em > without the gaps, and after you write < / em > again without the gaps. Now to see if this comes up correctly (had to use the gaps or it would have just reverted to italicisation).

  5. peysworld
    Member

    Totally agree on all points.

    As do at least two of my readers, who have, coincidentally and just today, each submitted comments with errors and then (rightly) complained about not being able to correct themselves.

    I think I'm right in saying that WordPress.org provides the capability ... so why not WP.com?

  6. thebirdingbunch
    Member

    I think this would be a good idea. I make crazy typos now and again. Only if I feel it changes the meaning of what I was trying to say, do I leave an additional comment on someone's blog. I've also had commenters writing a second comment about the Oops they made. I usually will correct it for them and delete the second comment.

    Because I have email notifications, I would get that original comment before any changes were made, if the person made a drastic change rather than simple typos.

    A limited time would be good as most often the changes you want occur right after it's posted. At least for me.

  7. teamoyeniyi
    Member

    I also agree.

  8. sensuousinkspiller
    Member

    I do use html in comments, and have a footer on my blog that explains what to use for others who comment. I still think little buttons, like the ones just above this as I am typing, would be so much easier. Not to mention the "check spelling"! :-)

    Sadly, I proved the point of needing editing abilities in my comment above:

    would allow the some

    Sigh. That "the" sure doesn't belong there, and it sure wasn't intentional!

  9. absurdoldbird
    Member

    @peysworld - I'm not sure the capability in WordPress.com is 'native' to the wordpress software, it might be a plugin, but yes it can be used there. I frequent wp.org blogs that have it and it's very useful.

    Would you be able to get your readers to come along to this thread and add their support, do you think? The more people we can get, I suspect the more change we have of anyone even taking notice. The main problem about these forums is that compared to how many people blog on wordpress.com, our views are just a drop in the ocean. But if more came by - maybe, just maybe.

  10. absurdoldbird
    Member

    'more chance' not 'more change'. Whoops...

  11. mistressneko
    Member

    It sounds like a good idea... lots of times ,especially if I'm sleepy or distracted as a write, I'll mess up writing a comment while I'm adding the italics or bold coding by hand and forget to close the code properly... d'oh!!

    Makes a comment look mighty weird..... and it's always something I wish I could fix myself.

  12. thistimethisspace
    Member

    @absurdoldbird
    I'm the Queen of Typos and spelling errors since the head injury left me both visually challenged and resulted in my formerly mild dyslexia becoming pronounced. Though I have swallowed my pride when it comes to posting answers to support forum questions as I did before this has not been an easy transistion for a former perfectionist to make. I even considered leaving blogging because of these imperfections but when I shared that with my readers they encouraged me to blog on. Undoubetly, I have become very inhibited when it comes to commenting on blogs simply because of my pride. O congess that I hate seeing myself sounding like an illterate dullard.

    That said, you may be surprised that I don't favor this idea. I hasten to add that I love you for fixing my errors but the reason I don't favor it is because when I was at Blogger I thrice witnessed a commenter edit a comment on a very controversial post that had many comments. That person did not edit spelling or typos. That person changed the whole meaning of the content of their original comment when they edited it and all of those who had responded to the comment were left twisting in the wind. The tird time I saw this happen resulted in me thinking that it may be better to leave typos and spelling errors intact than it is to open up this can of worms.

  13. thistimethisspace
    Member

    edit" "O congess" was meant to be "I confess"
    araragghhhh! lol :D

  14. lettershometoyou
    Member

    I just go in and correct any errors I see. Done it for timethief a few times and don't mind at all! :-)

  15. timethief
    Member

    Hi there,
    Thanks so much for your kindness. :)

  16. absurdoldbird
    Member

    @ tt - That's a horrible thing to have happened but there are two things to think about here. One is that an option with comment editing is to have the ability for only the first few minutes after posting a comment - after that, the ability to edit the comment closes. That's the sort I was suggesting.

    The other thing to think about is the person you mentioned who edited his/her comments - was that the only person you experienced who did that? And if so - out of how many others who didn't get up to mischief like that? I personally think that most people who have the ability to edit comments do it simply to avoid typos. The type who cause the sort of havoc you mention aren't in the majority. And it would be very sad to close off the option to the majority of people who'd like to edit comments by disallowing everyone for the sake of avoiding a few troublemakers.

  17. timethief
    Member

    @absurdoldbird
    Hi again,
    My position hasn't changed but I'm sure that won't surprise you and we can keep on keeping on anyway, right. lol :D

  18. sensuousinkspiller
    Member

    As it stands now, blog owners have the ability to edit (and delete) all comments. When we comment in other blogs, we are trusting that the blog owner isn't going to change what we write. Owners have all the power, comment writers have none.

    When I comment, "Hello, timethief! I love this blog post..." I trust that you aren't changing it to "Go to hell, timethief! I loathe this blog post..."

    As a commenter, I'd like the same trust, that had I typed, "Hwllo, timetheof" I can fix the typos.

    (Maybe adding in the ability for blog owners to ban a commenter would erase any fear of someone abusing the ability to edit. I'd like to think they would be few and far between, but then again I've been called Pollyanna before...)

  19. raincoaster
    Member

    I disagree. It would make for a legal nightmare and sensless amounts of interpersonal drama.

  20. absurdoldbird
    Member

    It's all pretty academic anyway as nobody other than us is taking the slightest bit of notice.

  21. metan1
    Member

    I don't judge people on their spelling in comments, we are all in the same boat, unable to go back and fix it when it is wrong no matter how annoying it is. If commenters ask me to change something they have done I am very happy to do so.
    I would hate for someone to be able to change their comment to something completely different though. Perhaps we need spellcheck for the comments section, that might fix most of the complaints. Is there a reason we don't have something like that already?

  22. 1tess
    Moderator

    If you give a comment to someone, then why and how should you be entitled to take it back?

    Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

  23. 1tess
    Moderator

    Perhaps we need spellcheck for the comments section, that might fix most of the complaints. Is there a reason we don't have something like that already?

    You already have that option: type your comment into a plain text editor (or even into MSWord) for spell-checking and giving a second thought before you publish a comment.

  24. raincoaster
    Member

    Or just enable spellchecker on your browser. Mine is telling me "spellchecker" isn't spelled correctly.

  25. metan1
    Member

    I just accept the fact that if I don't pay attention things are incorrect. If I want it to be perfect I should just double (triple) check!

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