Let me know the reason, there is a good lad or lassie

[HerenIstarion]

We are met to discuss our plans, our ways, means, policy and devices. We shall soon before the break of day start on our long journey, a journey from which some of us, or perhaps all of us (except our friends and counsellors, the ingenious spellers Squatter of Amon Rûdh and Rimbaud) may never return. It is a solemn moment. Our object is, I take it, well known to us all. To the estimable average newly deceased, and perhaps to one or two of the younger skeletons (I think I should be right in adding up some wights too, for instance), the exact situation at the moment may require a little brief explanation.

So be it. We are on the holy quest of keeping our spelling correct, our meaning clear, and our writing articulate. In pursuit of the high ideal of our mighty ancestors, we often find ourselves editing posts. And here, here is my humble request:

When editing the post, give a reason. There is a nice 'why' field to Edit window. If you dislike to use it, explain the reason in the post itself, under the heading of 'edit'.

For it is really weird to read the answer which has nothing to do with the post above. Yet one may deduct from the following post that once, in the days of yore, the preceding one was of astounding difference and than changed considerably.

I know that most of you make such an indication. I appeal to those few who don't. Be polite, let us know the reason, even if the reason is merely a mispelling you've noticed on second read only.

With deepest respect

[Fingolfin II]

Hear, hear H-I!

(except our friends and counsellors, the ingenious spellers Squatter of Amond Rûdh adn Rimbaud)

Dear, dear H-I! I suppose the occasional slip-up is allowable, but I certainly encourage a push for better spelling and grammar. Even if a post isn't that great, it looks a lot more credible than a really good post with bad spelling, punctuation or 'chatspeak' and is a lot easier on the eyes I find.

As for editing, I totally concur and being the vigilant poster that you are, I'm sure you're going to give a reason when you edit your above post !

[Imladris]

May I broach a silly question? Why is it so important to you, H-I? Forgive my thickness if you have explained it in your post above, but, alas, I was not granted with many brains and I may have missed your explanation.

I can only imagine that you would be concerned with this as a teaching tool for the newly dead?

[HerenIstarion]

Importance: In the past long forgotten and in recent threads, I've met posts edited beyong recognition by their authors after some comments made by other participants. In all the cases I refer to (without names, o'course ), the censoring took place after some days, and it was very strange to read comments about things no longer there.

To give you a crude example:

Poster#1, post#1 On the road to Mordor, Sam was carrying two pound worth of carrots
Poster#2 post#2 What carrots, can you provide a reference
Poster#1, post#3 Have not my books handy, but I'll try
Poster#3, post#4 Yes, yes, sure, I remember carrots too!
Poster#4, post#5, No carrots, obviously, I know it for sure
Poster#5, post#6, provides a quote with a proof there were no carrots
Poster#6, post#7, Bur surely there might have been some carrots? Hobbits like carrots, you know?
Poster #5, post#7, Nonsence, I already proved there were no carrots. No potatoes either.

Now suppose poster #1, for some reason, edits the initial post where carrots where mentioned. All of the following is immediately rendered meaningless. What carrots-sess, my precious-ss, what carrotses-ss? It is not ethical to edit in this way at all, but, if you do it, be so kind at least to provide some reason. Something like 'carrots discussed below where deleted for cause...'

Besides, when dates of initial posting and editing stand some days apart, one can't help wandering - why? Maybe something vital, interesting, or, converesely, insulting, was deleted? If something were published, and than changed, what exact changes were made should be known by the public, I believe

This thread is not about spelling. We have a plenty of those. This one is about reader's right to know, 'bout 'ethics'.

Edit:

Quick search of the boards on the net revealed the same idea expressed into far less words:

Please do not delete/radically edit post content without an explanation, even if it is a simple typo. To edit a post in a way that changes its content is considered dishonest. Please add a simple note of explanation to any edited post, even if it was only to change a mispelled word

I believe it is a proper way to deal with your fellow board members

cheers

[Imladris]

Ah yes, I understand your point. Then it would definitely be a courtesy to say why you drastically edited your post (or changed it in any small way). I wonder if that's why I have been unable to find senten ces I could have sworn were there before....

Hmmm....

*makes mental point to always fill in reason for editings.* I forget you see...

[Bêthberry]

it was very strange to read comments about things no longer there.

Indeed, absence does not make the heart grow fonder.

A lawyer friend of mine gave me this advice some years ago, which I often observe more in the breach than in the using, but it is handy: Quote the passage you are referring to in your own post, so that if any non sequitur-creating edits are made, at least your post will contain the point you are referring to.

Hypothetical post:

Poster#1, post#1 On the road to Mordor, Sam was carrying two pound worth of carrots

Carrots? Rubbish I say! Cabbages and potatoes more likely!

This has not been a billable hour.

[The Saucepan Man]

I profoundly disagree with altering one's original post because one is proved wrong or otherwise regrets what one has originally posted. By far the better (and more honest) course is either to humbly acknowledge the mistake or set out why you said what you did in the first place.

The only time I ever edit posts is either to address a point made by someone I cross-posted with (in which case I make that clear in the text of my post) or to correct typographical errors. Since I can't be bothered to type in "to correct typos" every time I edit, you can take it as red that that's the reason for any edited post of mine where no other reason is stated.

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

This has not been a billable hour.

Really? My meter is always running ...