Seven Compelling Reasons to Enable "Perpetual EDIT" for Content Creators

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
- Pablo Picasso -

I can't EDIT my Steemit posts.

This is not only unfortunate and unacceptable, it is also totally unnecessary.

In this article I posit a set of unassailable reasons why we who write Steemit content ought to be able to edit any and all of our Steemit articles.

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"Whisper words of wisdom, Edit be..."
Photo courtesy of Bruno Glätsch and http://pixabay.com

Reason #1: Content creators are the masters their own work.

Our posts don't write us; we write the posts. We create the value that is STEEM.

How do I know? It says so, right in the Steemit 2017 Roadmap

"Authors are the source of the content that drives the site and the platform, generating the attention that provides the ultimate value to the Steem Economy."

As creators, we need the ability to control and modify our output.

What is it that we do? We create content. This is as close to producing value out of thin air as you can possibly get. We are the ongoing, perpetual source of Steemit's value. The "new money" created day by day on this platform is the result of our "skull sweat."

Logically, therefore, we ought to be able to retain control of our output. We ought to be able to modify and improve it, according to our own artistic muse.

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Give Erase A Chance...
Photo courtesy of blom3 and http://pixabay.com

Reason #2: Steemit's credibility is at stake.

Editability of all past posts was promised by the official account, @steemitblog, six months ago. Here is a reference to that article:

"Steem 0.17 Change Proposal Introduction"

Within that proposal for HF17, you can still read the following quote:

Allow Editing of any Past Post or Comment

"We propose removing the restriction on editing of past posts. It is a user-interface responsibility to show revision history and enable restoration of unintentional changes made by compromised accounts."

One of the fundamental principles of trust and credibility is "Do what you say you will do." If some unforeseeable circumstance prevents keeping your promises, explain what's going on. It is long past time for Steemit to live up to this promise.

When the Steemit oracle, @steemitblog, says one thing and does another, it loses credibility. It is time to restore credibility in this area.

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Do you like pencils without erasers?
Photo courtesy of olaf and http://pixabay.com

Reason #3: Link addresses change and need updating.

All good resource articles should contain references to sources of data.

Many articles on the Steemit platform contain reference sources external to Steemit. These sources are subject to change at any time.

To maintain the integrity and value of Steemit articles containing links, they must remain editable. It must remain possible to update links as external reference locations change or as newer, improved references are discovered.

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Give Erase A Chance...
Photo courtesy of Maciej Szewczyk and http://pixabay.com

Reason #4: Mistakes are discovered long after creation.

Although top notch authors check and recheck their work, perfection is an elusive goal.

Sometimes because of deep familiarity, errors are unknowingly overlooked. The longer you look at your writing, the blinder you become to flaws in the details. However, after being away from an article for a while, an author can more easily spot those errors.

Just as "absence makes the heart grow fonder," every author knows that taking a break and returning with "new eyes" makes improvement and error discovery more likely.

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"There will be an answer, Edit be..."
Photo courtesy of Hans Braxmeier and http://pixabay.com

Reason #5: There is no practical reason to prevent editing.

Steemit already recognizes the need for editing. This can be proven by the simple observation that Steemit permits editing for a week.

Furthermore, content creators who are adamant about editing their work will do so one way or another. They will simply re-post an edited copy of a post, if necessary, rather than allow errors or changes to be perpetuated.

Consequently, no resources are saved by preventing perpetual editing.

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"Whisper words of wisdom, Edit be..."
Photo courtesy of tigerlily713 and http://pixabay.com

Reason #6: There is no moral reason to prevent editing.

When a content creator edits her own article, there is no "hiding" or deception going on.

The Steemit blockchain is perpetual and immutable. There is a complete history of every article's development, preserved for all time on the blockchain. Anyone who cares to see earlier versions of an article can access that history, given appropriate tools.

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The necessary change is trivial.
Photo courtesy of Lee Campbell and http://unsplash.com

Reason #7: The necessary change is trivial.

It is quite obvious that "EDIT-ABLE" is the default state of posts when they are created.
Action is required after seven days to REMOVE the "EDIT" button from the post.

How hard could it possibly be to disable that conditional action?

IF {post is more than seven days old}
THEN {disable EDIT}

Or, perhaps the logic is expressed inversely?

IF {post is less than seven days old}
THEN {enable EDIT}

Could it be slightly more complex? It's hard to see how. Any way you look at it, this has to be a simple fix.

Ten minutes? Fifteen? Plus a little testing? Why are we still waiting?

Please, join with me in pressing this issue.

Let's raise our voices in unison. Please comment, share, re-steem, and lobby far and wide.

Lords of Steemit, isn't it time to resolve this simple matter? Please, as you've long ago promised, give us perpetual editing.

Thank you in advance for remediating this oversight.

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~FIN~

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Thanks for your time and attention.
You are why I'm here on Steemit!
I have very eclectic interests and hope, over time, to write about them all.

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