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Aurora_Bell · Sep 13, 2011, 12:41 PM

Hypothetical question here: Is it legal to change someone's post or email or electronically transmitted messages? Say if I wrote something, and a moderator of a forum came along and edited and it lost the original meaning of my intended post, maybe putting me in an incriminating position, or even just making my question look like something intirely different, is this legal?

tickle · Sep 13, 2011, 12:51 PM

Good question, AB, but although it might not be legal it is unethical in my way of thnking. Maybe permission should be sought before someone changed another's script in a polite sort of way making an appropriate suggestion.

If that happened to me, I would be just so darned put out I wouldn't be able to even spit.

Tick

joypulv · Sep 13, 2011, 12:56 PM

Hypotheticals are tough. On a totally free site like this one, the chances of holding a moderator liable for editing an unvetted person's remarks are next to nil.

LisaB4657 · Sep 13, 2011, 12:57 PM

My understanding is that anything you post on a privately-owned forum becomes the property of the owners of that forum and they have the right to do with it as they please.

If they make changes to your post without your knowledge or consent, and someone sues you for damages they incurred due to that post, then you can sue the owners of the forum for reimbursement.

With that said, if I posted on a privately-owned forum and the owners made changes to my post (other than spelling, grammar or punctuation) without my knowledge or consent I'd be out of there in a heartbeat.

Aurora_Bell · Sep 13, 2011, 04:08 PM

Where's the line between editing for spelling and entirely changing the meaning of the post? My reference is then post with the OP asking if it's illegal to take pictures of women. The OP wrote "hot babe" but it was changed to "attractive woman", which totally changed the "feel" of the post.

LisaB4657 · Sep 13, 2011, 04:14 PM

Good question. I think it changes the feel of the post but it doesn't change the meaning. So unless the OP copyrighted their post (which they didn't), they wouldn't have any kind of claim against the owners/mods of the site.

tickle · Sep 14, 2011, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Where's the line between editing for spelling and entirely changing the meaning of the post? My reference is then post with the OP asking if it's illegal to take pictures of women. The OP wrote "hot babe" but it was changed to "attractive woman", which totally changed the "feel" of the post.

I see nothing wrong with 'hot babe' and yes, it does change the essence.

Tick

ScottGem · Sep 14, 2011, 03:58 AM

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Where's the line between editing for spelling and entirely changing the meaning of the post? My reference is then post with the OP asking if it's illegal to take pictures of women. The OP wrote "hot babe" but it was changed to "attractive woman", which totally changed the "feel" of the post.

This was discussed elsewhere. But you are correct. However, as Lisa, correctly put it, this is a privately owned site and the Terms of Service do state that the site owns any content submitted. So legally it can be edited.

Aurora_Bell · Sep 14, 2011, 04:51 AM

Wow, I think that is really scarry. You know, I almost didn't check this thread because of the title change. I was like "I didn't write that". Why wouldn't you guys notify the OP that you are changing and putting words in their mouths? That doesn't even sound like something I would say...

ScottGem · Sep 14, 2011, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Wow, I think that is really scarry. You know, I almost didn't check this thread because of the title change. I was like "I didn't write that". Why wouldn't you guys notify the OP that you are changing and putting words in their mouths? That doesn't even sound like something I would say....

Your original title was "Cyber Laws". While this did apply to your question, we are trying to get the titles to be more specific in reference to the question. This will help in optimizing searches.

So in this case, the title change was appropriate. It did not change the meaning or tone of your question, it just made the title more specific to the question.

On the other hand, the other thread you referred to was NOT, In my opinion, appropriate. It DID change the tone of the title and would definitely affect responders perceptions of the OP.

But the question of how to note edits is a good question, but for a different forum.

Aurora_Bell · Sep 14, 2011, 05:26 AM

Is there a thread already started for editing notes? Or informing OP's of changes being made?

NeedKarma · Sep 14, 2011, 06:11 AM

Originally Posted by ScottGem

So legally it can be edited.

I guess the difference being that it didn't used to be edited and now it will be. Don't like it at all but I can't change that.

LisaB4657 · Sep 14, 2011, 06:41 AM

What's with this Answer Summary?? It's been written as a statement of fact when I wrote that it was "my understanding". I qualified my answer for a reason.

NeedKarma · Sep 14, 2011, 07:10 AM

I know, it's kind of creepy.

tickle · Sep 14, 2011, 09:28 AM

I would really like to know why most of us did not know this was going to happen. I haven't exactly been under a rock, spending a lot of time here answeering posts.

I recently was made aware that a select few have been discussing this issue and I did not like that a bit.

I know some have been here a lot longer then myself, but I have been here since 07.
Tick

NeedKarma · Sep 14, 2011, 09:35 AM

You're not in the "clique" I guess. :)

I didn't know either since I'm not an expert (by choice). I'm splitting my time between here and another site.

ScottGem · Sep 14, 2011, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by LisaB4657

What's with this Answer Summary??? It's been written as a statement of fact when I wrote that it was "my understanding". I qualified my answer for a reason.

Please see this thread:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/active...594844-45.html

About the Answer summaries

LisaB4657 · Sep 14, 2011, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by ScottGem

Please see this thread:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/active...594844-45.html

about the Answer summaries

I just checked this link and it's the 45 page thread about Disparaging Answers. I have read every single post in that thread and don't remember seeing anywhere that there would be Answer Summaries unilaterally picked and posted.

And nowhere did it say that the person making the unilateral decision on which answer would become an Answer Summary would also be editing the chosen answer in a way that changes that answer from an opinion to a fact.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT IF MY ANSWER WAS WRONG, THE WAY IT'S BEEN EDITED I COULD BE LIABLE FOR MALPRACTICE?

tickle · Sep 14, 2011, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

You're not in the "clique" I guess. :)

I didn't know either since I'm not an expert (by choice). I'm splitting my time between here and another site.

That's okay, I have never been cliquish, but my time here is relaxing from a high stress job and this makes me uncomfortable now as it isn't that simple any more. I value my expert status and am pleased it was allowed to me, NK. I am not greasing the wheel just stating a fact of my well being.

tick

Aurora_Bell · Sep 14, 2011, 12:29 PM

I am/was happy with my expert status here too, I just liked the OLD AMHD, and all these changes are making me nervous. And I really don't want mine or anyone else’s posts edited or summarized. A lot of these people are my friends off the site too, and if they are jeopardizing their jobs because someone wants more Google hits, I'm going to get defensive.