# Is there a way to edit old posts?

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-edit-old-posts/28686>\
**Category:** Site Feedback\
**Created:** [March 20, 2021, 4:18pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-edit-old-posts/28686 "2021-03-20T16:18:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hamoid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/hamoid/32/58_2.png) [@hamoid](https://discourse.processing.org/u/hamoid)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 4:18pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-edit-old-posts/28686/1 "2021-03-20T16:18:58Z")

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Hi,

I’ve noticed that old posts can not be edited. Maybe to avoid them being brought to the top of the list? That’s a good thing I guess, but being unable to correct broken links or other outdated information is not ideal.

I wonder if it’s possible to allow edits without changing the date or without bringing the post to the top. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![josephh](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/josephh/32/210_2.png) [@josephh](https://discourse.processing.org/u/josephh)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-edit-old-posts/28686/2 "2021-03-20T17:49:37Z")

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Hi,

For info, this is a thread on this subject :

> **[Free to edit post at any time](https://meta.discourse.org/t/free-to-edit-post-at-any-time/35516)**
>
> NOTE: If admins want to allow edits at any given time, enable the following setting: post edit time limit Set it to 0 to make editing available forever. I vow users should be able to freely edit their own posts. And convert them to wiki as...

And an answer of the co founder Jeff Atwood :

> Is it very old? There is a limit on how long posts can be edited, to prevent weirdness around editing in spam to very old posts by a compromised account – you can adjust this time interval in site settings.

(From : [Post can't be edited - support - Discourse Meta](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-cant-be-edited/53179))

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**Author:** ![hamoid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/hamoid/32/58_2.png) [@hamoid](https://discourse.processing.org/u/hamoid)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-edit-old-posts/28686/3 "2021-03-20T18:19:54Z")

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I think admins can edit posts right? What about listing in this thread who to contact in such cases, so a manual edit can be performed? Does it make sense?

It would be much nicer if it was not necessary to bother anyone. One way it might work (something to suggest in the Meta Discourse) is if there was an option to allow minor edits (edits affecting only a URL or a typo). Or even more minimal, Discourse itself could notify the original author about 404s and let them replace the URL 🙂

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**Author:** ![josephh](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/josephh/32/210_2.png) [@josephh](https://discourse.processing.org/u/josephh)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-edit-old-posts/28686/4 "2021-03-20T19:00:39Z")

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Nice ideas!

> [@hamoid](#):
>
> if there was an option to allow minor edits (edits affecting only a URL or a typo)

But how do you distinguish a minor edit from a major edit? Would it be limited in characters?

> [@hamoid](#):
>
> Discourse itself could notify the original author about 404s and let them replace the URL

This would mean checking every url on every posts in a regular basis, it can make a lot of requests… And what about security? (I don’t have the answer 😉 )

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hamoid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/hamoid/32/58_2.png) [@hamoid](https://discourse.processing.org/u/hamoid)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 8:23am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-edit-old-posts/28686/5 "2021-03-23T08:23:34Z")

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> [@josephh](#):
>
> But how do you distinguish a minor edit from a major edit? Would it be limited in characters?

Maybe character count? I know it can be tricky, for example you can just add **no** to your old sentence to make it look like you said the opposite… Maybe a simple approach would be to mention “only typo corrections and URL fixes are allowed. Other changes will be rejected”, and then such changes must be accepted by an admin?

> [@josephh](#):
>
> This would mean checking every url on every posts in a regular basis, it can make a lot of requests… And what about security?

It would generate traffic indeed. I have no idea about how many URLs there are stored in the DB. Maybe checking URLs only when someone clicks on a URL and offering the original author to replace the URL when it’s broken? I do not know about security issues in this exact context, someone else should look at that.