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? asked in Yahoo ProductsYahoo Answers · 8 years ago

Why are people limited to just one comment and why can't they edit their own comments?

The new purple Y!A lets people post a comment on each answer, and that is pretty nice, but suppose someone wants to add to their comment after they post it or edit it for some realistic reason? I have a workaround. I will just post a link to a Google doc which I share, and that way I can edit and add to my comments whenever I like. But,

Why can't a person have at least some time during which they can edit their comment, just in case their cat jumps on their lap and causes them to submit half what they were trying to type? I mean, suppose someone is wanting to type "You're an assistant principle and should be proud" but it accidentally gets sent before they type the first "t"?

That's totally the wrong message they meant, and they will probably get reported for it, but accidents happen. It is realistic to make allowances to correct an innocent error and it is Y!A to be extremist and unforgiving.

Update:

Also, the askers should be able to edit the "additional details" they post just as answerers can completely edit their answers.

Update 2:

Because you know I meant "i" not "t".

Update 3:

Also, I used to use the comment area to post a follow up answer. For example, I would have said something in response to the askers comments after my answer was chosen as best:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201309...

Commenting under someone else's answer to respond to the asker just doesn't seem right. There needs to be a way to comment on ones own answer. It is nice to revisit my old answers and post a comment when a new experience has changed my mind about something I posted earlier. Of course it is possible if I use multiple accounts, but I would never do that. :/

Update 4:

See, only after I posted it did I notice my incorrect punctuation. Y!A is making me look like a moron thanks to the inability to edit my posts. I blame Y!A.

Update 5:

badmoon, thank you for answering, but let me clarify that I am not suggesting the entire question be editable. Just the additional details. Also, since Y!A does not notify anyone when their question or answer receives a comment, it could hardly be used for chat. Plus, there are examples (Discus, Facebook) where a person's comment is editable for a limited time after being posted. This allows for the correction of errors without being abused, so there is no evidence that people on a mass scale would abuse this. Sure, some people have a problem following the rules, but that is what reporting is for. It is easy enough to also save a revision history for some time for the purpose of the Y!A_AT being able to see if the reported answer/question was in fact abusing the feature. The technology is available to address all the problems you mentioned, so there really isn't a reason why Y!A doesn't implement my suggestions. But of course, if no one else answers, you will get BA anyway

Update 6:

...because voters don't get points for choosing "no best answer".

Update 7:

Okay, so you have proven that the existing system doesn't work (allows chat) therefore, we must keep it the same and not change it because change might allow chat. I'm not buying it. Thanks for trying, but I think we all can agree that a limitation on comments that doesn't even allow people to edit their typos within a finite grace period is not user friendly.

I'm just surprised that I didn't get even one person to answer telling me I had some good ideas. Can't anyone recognize what I'm doing here?

3 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    If more comments per user were allowed, people would use the comment feature to chat back and forth with each other. The restriction to one comment guarantees that any chat will be limited.

    The same goes for editing. If users were able to edit their comments, they could use the comments feature like a slate board, rewriting entirely in order to chat back and forth.

    If askers were able to edit their questions or details, they could abuse the respondents, then cover their tracks. Or they could rewrite their question, making it look like the respondents are in violation for not answering the question.

    "I will just post a link to a Google doc which I share,"

    Careful with that; you could be reported for spamming.

    EDIT:

    I received no notification that you added detail to your question, yet I returned to check on the possibility. If Q&A without update notifications can be used for back & forth, so can unlimited comments.

    Even if a question header was unchangeable but not the details, the principle applies. The header could be "Can you answer this question?", with the actual question in the details. Once others answer, the details could be changed to something else.

    I agree that there are programmable means of dealing with any abuse potential, but this is Yahoo! we're talking about; they can't even keep their existing code functioning correctly. Also, Customer Care reviewers have a quota to meet; if they had to review more than just the latest revision, it would slow down turnover time.

    EDIT II (The Edit Strikes Back):

    Chat within Q&A is kept in check by the guidelines, but comments are not subject to those same rules. Spam and insults are still violations, but chat in comments has always been allowed. Imposing a limit on the number of comments puts the check on chat that the guidelines do not.

    I do agree with time-limited editing, but again, this is Yahoo!, which is not known for going above-and-beyond the call of duty. Maybe I'm just cynical. They have a suggestion board, if you want to present the idea to them:

    http://suggestions.yahoo.com/?prop=answers

    I'm sure another respondent will be along eventually to pat you on the back, and you can give them Best Answer.

  • Miss Anthropy
    8 years ago

    Thanks for posting this, I totally agree with you. I wondered if I was going crazy when I recently noticed the total lack of an editing option, which I recalled was something I've certainly used on posts here before. I honestly am not a fan of improvements or "upgrades" which involve eliminating of features that probably not many users were asking to be removed. .

  • patty
    7 years ago

    You've got to be kidding? I cannot edit my first (and NOW last) comment to revise typo?! This is ludicrous.

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