The "edit" option?

[Frank]

I was just wondering, what triggers the "edit" link at the bottom of an episode you posted? When I started writing last month, I didn't get it until the third day, or so.

Then, I had trouble with my computer and had to clear my cookies and stuff. I logged into the forum, and posted some three episodes, hoping that would re-enable the "edit" option, but to no avail,
and I'd hate to pester the mod (mods?) for the things I want to change.

Also, how long does it last? (I.E. how long is it before you can no longer edit an episode you wrote?) I thought 24 hours, but it seems to be less.

[Anableps]

That is unusual. I use Internet Explorer 7 without special security hardening, and generally get the edit button after I submit the episode. The cookie that allows you to edit lasts for 30 days.

[Frank]

Maybe that's the ticket; I'm on what we call "the old computer" in my house, which means I use Internet Explorer 6 because the computer isn't compatible with anything else

However, it's strange that I had the edit option before, and now I don't

[JH]

I didn't think that the Edit option was available for as long as 30 days; I thought it was just a couple of days, but can't remember precisely how long. You need to have cookies enabled and be using the computer that you used to create the episode.

I don't mind making the odd edit here and there, but would draw the line at making mass changes. One think to remember when editing an episode is that, if the episode has already been continued, you shouldn't do anything to introduce a continuity problem with that continuation.

[Anableps]

Internet Explorer 6.0 should work. I know that I was using IE 6.0 for some time and was still able to edit the story.

While I do not know the details of how they work, I wonder if there is something odd with cookie handing. I assume that is how the site identifies a writer to make sure only the writer can edit his own episodes.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283185

Internet Explorer 6.0 controls its cookie handling in the privacy tab in the Tools (Internet Options) configuration of Internet Explorer. If it is set to "block all cookies", then that would break the editing functions. I would think that most other security settings would work.

One other possibility is that the anti-virus and security software on the computer clears all cookies when you shut down the computer. Mine does not. To verify that you are getting cookies from the site, you can look at the Documents and Settings\user_name\cookies folder and see if there are any cookies that look like user_name@sir-toby[1].txt. You might have to unhide protected OS files to see them.

[Frank]

Here's the thing: I know cookies are being saved, and I know it worked before, and I've checked, and apparently the edit option is gone after 12 hours (or some similar amount of time definitely shorter than 30 days), or once someone different than myself extends the episode.

What I wanted to know here was if there was anyone who knew if this 12-hour estimate was correct; or if there's something that requires for the cookie to exist in a computer – if that computer has already visited the site – before being able to write a new cookie, which is then checked to put the "edit" option. If the latter is true, that would explain why I can't get the "edit" option on my "old" computer.

If it's not true, then it's probably some other problem on my end (most likely space; the computer works with less than 1 MB of disk space and 128 of RAM... see why we call it the "old" computer? The upside is that no virus can run with that little space, so I don't need – nor can I have – an anti-virus)



Since the 12 hours have long since passed, I'll have to say what it was so a mod (the mod?) can fix it. The most important change I wanted to make was in episode 88649, paragraph 6. I wanted to put a paragraph mark right before the "If" and "she continued" after the coma; which means

...had obviously worked. "If you want, we can discuss this later."

would become

...had obviously worked.
<p>
"If you want," she continued, "we can discuss this later."

This is mainly because each time I re-read it I tend to skip what she says, making the "no" further on seem to mean "No, I'm not alright" instead of "No, I want to discuss this now"

The other thing was changing the background to "parchment" on episodes 88648, 88651-88656, 88679, 88799, 88800, 88698; mainly because these episodes are all "back to the beginning" episodes.


Lastly, I wanted to replace the ellipsis at the end of episode 88783 with ". What Astra doesn't know is that you, the reader, are that cat."

And add to episode 88790, 2nd-last paragraph, "And the little sister was her own sister, Agra! [88807]" Yes, I know I haven't written 88807 yet, but I can't edit 88790 anymore because of the 12-hour limit. I'm hoping by the time a mod gets around to writing this reference, I'll have put it up.
Also missing in this episode is to mention that there is a small pool of water in the room, otherwise option 2 in episode 1483 (cross-linked from 88807) makes no sense. So, basically, change "The light let her see she was in a marble hall" for "The light let her see she was in a marble hall with a small pool of water in the center" and the text for option 2 to "she noticed something in the reflection of the pool of water"


Yes, I know, it's a lot, but all of them minor edits. This is why I didn't want to pester a mod (mods?) about this, but it was just so frustrating to suddenly be unable to do it!

[JH]

I've made the edits you requested, with the exception of the background changes - I drew the line at those. I can't guarantee to always be so obliging in future, though, unless you've made a really major screw-up. There's hardly an episode I've ever written where, if I reread it some days later, I can't see how it could be improved.

Twelve hours seems far too short a time for editing to be enabled. Some speculation (though only Sir Toby knows for sure): Editing an epiisode might become disabled when one of its options is written from. Or when one of its options is crosslinked. Or when another episode is crosslinked to the episode.

[Anableps]

For everyone's reference, I was given an edit option for 88309. I wote that one on December 30, and it had been extended, but not cross-linked.

[Frank]

I've made the edits you requested

I'm looking now for the appropriate show of appreciation for you, but somehow, "much obliged", "eternally grateful", or "forever in your debt" just don't seem to cut it. Is there anything you need done?

Twelve hours seems far too short a time for editing to be enabled.

Exactly my point. All those edits were things I saw as soon as I posted the episode (not several days later), so I said, "no matter, I'll edit it... wait, where's the 'edit' option?" And, of course, rather than try to see if I could get to another computer within the 12-hour limit (if it is 12 hours and not just a problem on my end such as disk space or cross-linking), I tried to fix that computer, and then started asking around here.

Some speculation (though only Sir Toby knows for sure): Editing an epiisode might become disabled when one of its options is written from.

The thing is, in the past, when the extension was done by myself, the episode was still editable, and here, even in those cases I found myself unable to edit the episode.

[Won-Tolla]

I'm a cat?

[Hi! My name is Ib!]

I'm a cat!

[Sir Toby]

The length of time you are allowed to edit episodes after they are created is 30 days. This is dependent upon a cookie being saved on your browser at the time you create the episode. If the cookie is deleted prematurely, you will lose the ability to edit the episode.

Are people unable to edit episodes within 30 days?