# Add comment edit histories **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature Requests\ **Created:** [March 5, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549 "2019-03-05T23:16:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/1 "2019-03-05T23:16:10Z")
Editing a comment after others have subsequently commented can make the discussion thread really confusing when there is no evidence of the edit being made. And, some users edit their insulting/inappropriate comments, essentially deleting the history of poor behavior. Most websites either don’t allow you to edit your comments after posting (I’m not endorsing that), don’t allow editing after a certain time period, or they allow edits indefinitely and display that a change has been made, often the actual changes between edits. I would like iNat to adopt an edit history style much like is available here on Discourse–a visual display that a comment was edited + the changes that were made between edits. I do like that there is somewhat of a “grace period” on Discourse before edits are publicly logged; but I could go either way on that. This should apply to all comments (on observations, journal posts, flags, taxon changes, etc), including the comments attached to IDs. [Previous Google Group discussion here](https://groups.google.com/d/msg/inaturalist/0B6mk70sIA8/X_V1kEUaEAAJ). ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/2 "2019-03-05T23:43:39Z")
I think we’ve discussed this and I’m not sure how much of an effect keeping every edit would have on our infrastructure (@kueda would know better than I). But I’d definitely be down to at least have an “edited” label on the content. A corollary, would a user be able to delete their comment, or just hide it? ---
**Author:** ![kiwifergus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kiwifergus/32/1904_2.png) [@kiwifergus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kiwifergus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 7:06am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/3 "2019-03-06T07:06:28Z")
If we can have the same sort of edit history as in Discourse? I can’t fault the way they deal with it here! ---
**Author:** ![tonyrebelo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tonyrebelo/32/317_2.png) [@tonyrebelo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tonyrebelo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 7:46am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/4 "2019-03-06T07:46:24Z")
I would be happy if Edit and IDs were locked if subsequent IDs and Comments were added. (except with perhaps a 5 minutes grace period, because I only see bloops I have made after the third read after posting). If someone is willing to propose that I would second it. That would eliminate the need for edit histories. ---
**Author:** ![kueda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kueda/32/20_2.png) [@kueda](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kueda)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/5 "2019-03-07T21:38:12Z")
> [@tiwane](#): > > I think we’ve discussed this and I’m not sure how much of an effect keeping every edit would have on our infrastructure It’s doable, just not trivial (like adding an “edited” marker would be), so I guess we’ll watch the votes here. ---
**Author:** ![saturnring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@saturnring](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/saturnring)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/6 "2019-03-07T22:12:44Z")
> [@tonyrebelo](#): > > I would be happy if Edit and IDs were locked if subsequent IDs and Comments were added. (except with perhaps a 5 minutes grace period, because I only see bloops I have made after the third read after posting). > If someone is willing to propose that I would second it. > That would eliminate the need for edit histories. I agree with this. I would rather just have it be clear what a person is responding to, without having to look at an “edit” page to try to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/7 "2019-05-02T13:14:01Z")
After using it for a little while longer, I think Discourse handles this pretty well, where edits for a few minutes after the comment was made _don’t_ “count” toward the edit history (bloop grace period), but edits made after are clearly indicated with a bright little pencil icon and an easy to interpret edit history. There are parts of iNat with comment sections, like flags and atlases, that I use as a wiki of sorts ([see example on _Zygophyllum_](https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/276284)) Not being able to edit my comments to reflect updated information would be annoying. ---
**Author:** ![jeanphilippeb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jeanphilippeb/32/41518_2.png) [@jeanphilippeb](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jeanphilippeb)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 4:17pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/8 "2019-12-30T16:17:57Z")
I would prefer the ability to update any comment without limitation (and without any “edited” mark) as long as no other comment or ID follows. (The same in the forums). And without versionning in that case. This would make refinements and spelling corrections easier. In other words, I consider that a comment is a “draft” as long as no other comment or ID follows. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/9 "2019-12-31T02:49:51Z")
I would suggest the simple edited label option. I can tell you from first-hand experience that there can be a _lot_ of edits. I often think of details I forgot to add to posts and edit them in or just click “agree” with an ID, then edit it because it’s faster than having to type the whole name in. But I think clicking “agree” should just fill in that name so you have to click “done” to actually send it, that way you can quickly pick the species and add a comment in the same post efficiently. I know that would cut down on many of my edits personally. ---
**Author:** ![jeanphilippeb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jeanphilippeb/32/41518_2.png) [@jeanphilippeb](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jeanphilippeb)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/10 "2020-01-02T14:33:21Z")
> [@blue\_lotus](#): > > But I think clicking “agree” should just fill in that name so you have to click “done” to actually send it From an **Observation** page, maybe, but not from the **Identify** page. When reviewing, I click on “Agree” then after 1 second I click on “\>” (“Next”). Having to wait for the context to refresh in order to click on “Done”, before moving to the next observation, would be a waste of time not consistent with the many optimizations that already exist in the Identify page. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 8:41am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-comment-edit-histories/549/11 "2020-01-03T08:41:01Z")
Oh I agree that “agree” should be kept streamlined. I was just saying in regard to paring down on edits. This is purely an issue of what you prioritize. I don’t think the editing issue is a large one. I think just a “this post has been edited on [date/time]” is sufficient.