EditMe December 30, 2011 5:38 AM   Subscribe

Desjardins suggested an edit for your answer to "How do I properly bury the body?"

Quora has this neat feature where other readers can suggest an edit to your comments. Whether you implement the edit or not is up to you, the original writer of the comment. Here's an example, with the supposed error marked in red and the suggested change in green.

Could such a feature be added to the entire MetaFilter site at some point?
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) to Feature Requests at 5:38 AM (75 comments total)

Hmmm. I know we're all grammar Nazis, but do we really need huge boxes telling us that something is spelled wrong, as shown in the example?
posted by Melismata at 5:50 AM on December 30, 2011


Could such a feature be added to the entire MetaFilter site at some point?

EDIT: CROSS OUT QUOTE. INSERT SOMETHING SNARKY AND MOVE PARAGRAPH ABOUT FIXING THAT FOR YOU INTO EMPHASIS.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:50 AM on December 30, 2011 [11 favorites]


Yeah, what we really need is a way for people to crap in other people's comments, not just on them.
posted by mkultra at 5:53 AM on December 30, 2011 [17 favorites]


Is it still "suggesting an edit" if you write the suggestion knowing that no-one at Metafilter is actually able to edit their answers?
posted by -harlequin- at 5:57 AM on December 30, 2011 [3 favorites]


Yeah, what we really need is a way for people to crap in other people's comments, not just on them.

No, user A gets a notification from User B about an edit. Nothing appears in the actual comment itself online.

To prevent abuse, users could be limited to only one edit suggestion per comment or per day or something. Multiple suggestions of the same edit would be ignored. Yeah, this might involve a lot of coding, hence my request it be added at some point.

Is it still "suggesting an edit" if you write the suggestion knowing that no-one at Metafilter is actually able to edit their answers?

Then we'd have to be able to edit our answers, yes. Again, nothing that's going to happen anytime soon, but hey since the mods are thinking about that, what about this too.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:02 AM on December 30, 2011


I hope this is a nonstarter with the mods.
posted by zarq at 6:10 AM on December 30, 2011 [3 favorites]


Horace Rumpole suggests you edit your post to say "Could such a feature never be added to MetaFilter at any point?"

The only legitimate uses of this can easily be accomplished via MeMail, and the illegitimate uses would be legion.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:11 AM on December 30, 2011 [4 favorites]


No, user A gets a notification from User B about an edit. Nothing appears in the actual comment itself online.

Couldn't memail do this without adding a new system?
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:11 AM on December 30, 2011



GenjiandProust suggests suggests that Horace Rumpole edit his comment to post it after GenjiandProust made the same comment only less eruditely, to save embarrassment.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:13 AM on December 30, 2011 [3 favorites]


Couldn't memail do this without adding a new system?

Horace Rumpole suggests you edit your comment to say "Curses, once again Horace Rumpole has proved that he is both cleverer and faster than me. Why do I even try to compete with his genius!"
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:14 AM on December 30, 2011 [13 favorites]


I didn't realize hypothetical ponies were available for consideration.

As long as we're looking at suggesting edits that can't yet be implemented, can I request we get a red tracksuit with white piping for the gnome slave that presses 'Post Comment' on my behalf?
posted by carsonb at 6:17 AM on December 30, 2011 [2 favorites]


can I request we get a red tracksuit with white piping for the gnome slave that presses 'Post Comment' on my behalf?

Amateur. I have two gnome slaves. One to hit the tab key and one to hit the enter key. That's the only way to post nowadays.
posted by Think_Long at 6:25 AM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


I shoot this pony now.
posted by infini at 6:31 AM on December 30, 2011


Don't implement this please.
posted by caddis at 6:32 AM on December 30, 2011


Could such a feature be added to the entire MetaFilter site at some point?

This is sort of a non-starter for all the reasons we've been having such trouble with envisioning an edit window feature. Quora handles this, if I recall correctly, by showing you the edit and letting you accept it, reject it or make a new/different edit, is that right? I've found it occasionally helpful there, frequently obnoxious in practice [i.e. someone telling me my question should be using a different verb tense or plurals or avoiding singular 'they'] and not something that I see as either necessary or really useful/helpful here.

I like that it takes the admins out of the equation [Quora has one of those mixtures of a lot of helpful volunteers and a few paid staff running the place as well as a TON of start-up capital] but it would be a huge culture change to implement something like that here as opposed to having it available more or less from the start. As it is, people can suggest edits via MeMail and people can have us make critical edits and we, as always, stress using the preview feature and being a little more relaxed about typos, yours and others.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:33 AM on December 30, 2011 [3 favorites]


Quora handles this, if I recall correctly, by showing you the edit and letting you accept it, reject it or make a new/different edit, is that right?

Yes.

This is sort of a non-starter for all the reasons we've been having such trouble with envisioning an edit window feature.

Figured as much, but had to ask upon seeing a shiny new feature. No problem.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:36 AM on December 30, 2011


Horace Rumpole suggests you edit your comment to say "Curses, once again Horace Rumpole has proved that he is both cleverer and faster than me. Why do I even try to compete with his genius!"

GenjiandProust suggests that you edit this to point out that you scooped me twice, and, to boot, I had the word "suggests" twice in my comment. Oh, what a sad showing for the end of the year!

*Shakes fist at Rumpole's omnipresent evil laughter* Rumpoooooooooooole!!!!!!
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:42 AM on December 30, 2011 [2 favorites]


Jeez, what's next? Turn AskMe background white or somethigng?
posted by Mngo at 6:51 AM on December 30, 2011


If we cannot edit our own posts, then what good would this do?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:54 AM on December 30, 2011


Undead pony should not be!
posted by The Whelk at 6:57 AM on December 30, 2011


I already have MeMail turned off and no email address in my profile because I tired of receiving nastygrams from MeFites on the rare occasions when I participate in a political thread. I'd switch off this feature, too. No, thanks.
posted by cribcage at 7:16 AM on December 30, 2011


nastygrams could be a whole new offering in the adult service industry.
posted by Think_Long at 7:22 AM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


Yeah, what Jess said. It's neat as far as that goes that Quora has taken this approach but it'd be a really, really significant change in Metafilter site culture as far as how content is dealt with for it even to have a functional place on the site.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:28 AM on December 30, 2011


I think the actual author-only edit window is more of a possibility. This is pretty technical and not entirely necessary. I don't see much upside for such a confusing sort of UI change.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:30 AM on December 30, 2011


I know we're not voting, but I vote against an edit window, unless there is an accompanying "this post edited on" signature. But even with that, I vote against it for generally muddying up threads. Which I suspect is the Metafilter equivilent of Ron Paul but I dont even care.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:40 AM on December 30, 2011


I don't want to re-open the edit window discussion (which would be only for three minutes, no changes tracked, etc) I merely mention it to say that's something that's way more straightforward and I believe would both be more useful and have less of an impact than suggested edits from other users on any of your existing content across the entire server.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:11 AM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


Potomac Avenue: "I know we're not voting, but I vote against an edit window, unless there is an accompanying "this post edited on" signature. But even with that, I vote against it for generally muddying up threads. Which I suspect is the Metafilter equivilent of Ron Paul but I dont even care."

I've always thought it would work best only if
a) the window for edits was only about 5 minutes long.
and b) total transparency was made available to anyone logged in to the site.

So each edited comment would have an option (preferably something very unobtrusive so as not to disturb the flow of a thread,) to peruse a comment's complete history, similar to wiki page history comparisons, like this.
posted by zarq at 8:11 AM on December 30, 2011


In all of our discussions of the potential edit window, we haven't been very keen on the idea of exposing diffs. People want to be able to read the whole conversation, diffs included. If they're available, they would become a second, less-read channel that would inevitably creep into the discussion itself. We'd rather see one solid channel with minor edits, have chats with people abusing editing for messing with the site, and leave the edit history behind the scenes.

Back to the original suggestion, I think this sort of passive-aggressive correcting could lead to a lot of animosity on both sides. Both a who do they think they are correcting me? and a why wasn't my correction accepted?. MeFi Mail opens an opportunity for dialog between the two people. You can have more of a back and forth and discuss proposed changes. You can say please and thank you and buffer things with, "hey you might not have noticed, but..." Those little things make a big difference and are easier to live with than red strikeouts alone.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:27 AM on December 30, 2011


is it april first already?
posted by facetious at 8:29 AM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


Quora isn't full of beanplating grammanazis
posted by infini at 8:30 AM on December 30, 2011


er, peace to all and joy on earth with an hey merry ho auld lang syne etc
posted by infini at 8:30 AM on December 30, 2011


is it april first already?

No shit. I honestly couldn't decide if this was a real request or not. Especially considering the source.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:32 AM on December 30, 2011


I'd just like to be able to edit my own comments.
posted by empath at 8:49 AM on December 30, 2011


Holy shit. There was a brief second where I thought I really did this in my sleep or something.
posted by desjardins at 9:34 AM on December 30, 2011 [4 favorites]


No, we talked about this.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:42 AM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


... (be) a little more relaxed about typos, yours and others.

Life-changing advice.
posted by roger ackroyd at 10:06 AM on December 30, 2011


I have so much respect for both BrandonBlatcher and desjardins as contributors that I wish I could agree with them on this, but I don't want to feel like I have to walk on eggshells any more than I already do.

The user base here is already full of intellectuals and beanplaters and we've had discussions about the rising level of criticism whenever a post goes up being intimidating to posters. I know I've been posting less; I'm worried that this feature--which, as others have said, wouldn't allow us to actually edit our comments anyway--would lead to more personal attacks rather than just style or grammar critiques.
posted by misha at 10:26 AM on December 30, 2011


grammanazis

Did you mean "grammar Nazis" or "grandma Nazis"? I find the second a far more entertaining concept.
posted by me & my monkey at 10:37 AM on December 30, 2011 [2 favorites]


I have so much respect for both BrandonBlatcher and desjardins as contributors that I wish I could agree with them on this, but I don't want to feel like I have to walk on eggshells any more than I already do.

Hey, just to be clear, desjardins had nothing to do with my suggestion in any way, shape or form. Including her and that specific question was just light humor.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:55 AM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


Because "fixed that for you" wasn't obnoxious enough.
posted by scalefree at 11:06 AM on December 30, 2011


I don't want to re-open the edit window discussion

wagl'phui nafh'ph The Feature Which Must Not Be Named fhtagn nafh'mglw!
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:16 AM on December 30, 2011


NO

EDIT

WINDOW

EVER!
posted by Aizkolari at 11:18 AM on December 30, 2011


Only if there's a checkbox to "include Treaty of Westphalia".
posted by lukemeister at 11:23 AM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


I have so much respect for both BrandonBlatcher and desjardins as contributors that I wish I could agree with them on this, but I don't want to feel like I have to walk on eggshells any more than I already do.

I don't understand the walking on eggshells part, at all, but FTR I disagree with Brandon and I will help the mods dispose of this pony's body.
posted by desjardins at 11:30 AM on December 30, 2011


desjardins: "I don't understand the walking on eggshells part, at all,"

Meta ain't for the timid.
posted by zarq at 11:38 AM on December 30, 2011


I live in fear of a misplaced comma, desjardins.
posted by misha at 3:11 PM on December 30, 2011


I think the last thing we all need is a backchannel way for people to snipe at what each other have written. It'll start out as an editing suggestion feature, and turn into a "here, I've rewritten everything you just wrote because you have no ability to express yourself in writing at all" horror storm.

This pony is destined for the glue factory.
posted by hippybear at 3:31 PM on December 30, 2011


and turn into a "here, I've rewritten everything you just wrote because you have no ability to express yourself in writing at all" horror storm.

It will become a valued service to allow the better spoken members of the community to increase the general level of discourse via selective editing of less gifted members' contributions.

FTFY.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:44 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


I think the last thing we all need is a backchannel way for people to snipe at what each other have written.

I find it odd that lots of people think the feature would be abused and that I didn't think of that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:44 PM on December 30, 2011


Well, considering the way I've been pestered via MeMail in unwelcome ways by some who are no longer amongst us, I don't think there's any reason to think that any other backchannel communication in MetaFilter can't or won't be used in similar ways.

The thing about this particular feature is, people may be trying to be helpful, but not everyone wants volunteer editors working on what they've written. Volunteering to help edit someone's already-made post is like volunteering to recook a meal you've already been served. Or at the very least, heading into the kitchen to snoop for ketchup and hot sauce because "this just doesn't taste right to me" or whatever.

Unless I specifically asked someone for help with writing, I'd feel annoyed and insulted if someone suddenly popped up and said "here, this is what you just said, only better!". And that's even if they were trying to be genuinely helpful, let alone being nasty about it.
posted by hippybear at 3:55 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


I find it odd that lots of people think the feature would be abused and that I didn't think of that.

A truly successful tool is one that can be used in ways the creator never considered.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:01 PM on December 30, 2011


God must be in awe of humanity's sexual organs then.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:30 PM on December 30, 2011


I think you're not aware of the extent of God's imagination.
posted by hippybear at 4:31 PM on December 30, 2011


When God starts talking about his own rule #34, run like hell.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:38 PM on December 30, 2011 [2 favorites]


"I think you're not aware of the extent of God's imagination."

It's one which none greater can be conceived, right?
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 5:47 PM on December 30, 2011


It's one which none greater can be conceived, right?

Bigger than that even.
posted by scalefree at 6:29 PM on December 30, 2011


Could God make a comment so awesome that not even he could resist favoriting it?
posted by Dumsnill at 6:42 PM on December 30, 2011 [5 favorites]


Pony request (disambiguation)
A request for a new feature by a mefite.
Brandon Blatcher being a total attention whore.

posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 7:04 PM on December 30, 2011


I live in fear of a misplaced comma, desjardins.

I thought you meant you were afraid of me and I was like really?
posted by desjardins at 8:25 PM on December 30, 2011


Nah, I'm the 99%.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:59 PM on December 30, 2011


suggested edits from other users on any of your existing content across the entire server

That could lead to the commenting equivalent of a timewar.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:45 PM on December 30, 2011


Could such a feature be added to the entire MetaFilter site at some point?
posted by Brandon Blatcher to Feature Requests

Brandon, your profile says you are 14 years old. Nevertheless, you should realize what a Pandora's box you are proposing.
OTOH, are you really older than 14, and things were just to quiet on MeTa?
posted by Cranberry at 10:51 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


yours and others'
posted by Meatbomb at 11:41 PM on December 30, 2011


edit my evening... its 48 minutes to midnight where I'm at (in your future)

note to self: next time move to a happening place
posted by infini at 7:09 AM on December 31, 2011


I draft all my comments out in slate, do you realize how much the edit window would cost me in quarrying? No edit window please.
posted by arcticseal at 5:13 PM on December 31, 2011


MetaFilter: How do I properly bury edit the body?
posted by not_on_display at 10:03 PM on December 31, 2011


I want to edit you like an animal.
posted by The Whelk at 10:07 PM on December 31, 2011


I want to edit you like an animal.
I want to correct you from the inside.
I want to edit you like an animal.
All my grammar is flawed.
You get me closer to a perfectly written comment.
posted by hippybear at 9:37 AM on January 1, 2012


You let me conjugate you.

I'm sorry, I couldn't figure out the rest, so just throwing that out there...
posted by empath at 12:46 PM on January 1, 2012


Conjugal relations are iffy
posted by infini at 2:09 PM on January 1, 2012


I want a 3 min edit window so that I don't come away looking like I'm functionally illiterate

meh
posted by infini at 9:16 AM on January 2, 2012


infini: I want a 3 min edit window so that I don't come away looking like I'm functionally illiterate

Punctuation would be a fine start.
posted by gman at 5:27 PM on January 2, 2012


i wuv u 2
posted by infini at 12:30 AM on January 3, 2012


gman: " Punctuation would be a fine start."

Ever read Feersum Endjinn?
posted by zarq at 7:51 AM on January 3, 2012


No, I must work on my punctuation. Its just laziness.
posted by infini at 9:40 AM on January 3, 2012


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