4

If I try to queue an edit for someone else's post changing only 2 or 3 characters, the system doesn't let me save it. But there are cases in which changing only 2 or 3 characters changes the full phrases meaning.

Wrong:

"The OS that came installed on your OS from its manufacturer"

Right:

"The OS that came installed on your PC from its manufacturer"

Or just "YES" != "NO" (3 characters)

What one must do in this case? Simply ignore the error? Write it on a comment? What else?

4
  • 5
    computer has 8 characters.
    – Daniel Beck Mod
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 15:21
  • @DanielBeck also machine has 7 and would be good alternative of PC :D
    – avirk
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 15:38
  • 1
    DanielBeck, avirk: True (but that's a workaround :-) ) HaydnWVN LOL for the edit note
    – Axeman
    Commented Aug 22, 2012 at 5:54
  • In this case, I would just have used system; six characters. Done. In general, there is usually some way to fix a typo, punctuation, grammar, etc. If all else fails, you can change a bit of the formatting or even white space (I usually remove the extraneous blank line between the text and links and add a line-break at the very end of the post). Also fix any links that can be minimized (a lot of users simply copy the nasty, bloated text from the address-bar including lots of unnecessary GET fields.
    – Synetech
    Commented Sep 4, 2012 at 15:53

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
7

See if there's anything else worth fixing in the post.

  • Are there any spelling errors?
  • Acronyms missing explanation?
  • Capitalization issues?
  • Could you add a little formatting to make it easier to read?
  • Are there links to provide context?

If your answer to all of these questions is "no" (and it rarely is), and the post really needs to be edited, then you could drop by Super User chat - the most preferable room is Root Access - and ask some user with more than 2k reputation to make the trivial edit for you.

Generally, users without full edit privileges are expected to make very thorough and substantial edits.

Or just "YES" != "NO" (3 characters)

In that case, reconsider. Is simply changing a "yes" to "no" really not going to harm the post in any other way? Will the other sentences make sense? Make sure to respect the original author and don't completely change the meaning of a post. If you think something is completely incorrect, then leave a comment and/or down vote the post. Or provide a better answer yourself.

5
  • 5
    I like that this answer was edited. So meta.
    – Rob
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 15:54
  • Understood. And about your "reconsider" I was talking about situation where "yes->no" is clearly a typing or a distraction error. I already read the docs about editing (not here, but on Electronics SE, where I have full edit privileges)
    – Axeman
    Commented Aug 22, 2012 at 6:00
  • 1
    This is such a terrible policy. Plenty of answers have exactly one spelling error and the system insists on recruiting someone with high reputation to fix it. Quora has an open ended suggested edits feature and it's not abused.
    – Ben Mordecai
    Commented Feb 2, 2013 at 0:11
  • @Ben I don't know how Quora works, but the idea is that posts shouldn't be bumped for minor things. We've had discussions about introducing a "trivial edit" feature before, but then again nobody would review those. In practice, I've never come across a single typo where something else in the post couldn't be fixed while you're at it
    – slhck Mod
    Commented Feb 2, 2013 at 14:23
  • @slhck I didn't realize that each edit is a bump. Quora's feed isn't sequential, so there's no concept of a bump. All in all though, I think that if an internal policy impedes quality content the policy should be addressed.
    – Ben Mordecai
    Commented Feb 2, 2013 at 14:52

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .