The problem lies when a begrudged member gets in a tissy about some argument, and edits their posts DESTROYING several threads.
Hmm, I suppose I see where you/he is coming from, it is fustrating when people do that, but to me it seems like a fairly heavy handed response that very likely does more damage than it prevents. Realistically, how many users posting valuable content were getting upset and deleting there content, compared with the number of people editing their content for legitimate reasons.
I have got a lot of value out of the continually updated posts on this forum and elsewhere, and I frequently edit my posts to update the information, add links, correct myself, or clarify a point. Its frustrating to lose this ability, even moreso if the reason is because
Make no mistake.
Everything posted on this forum belongs to Will.
Removing or otherwise destroying content posted damages the forum, and steals content from Will.
I'm quite dissapointed by this perspective, and I disagree with it in spirit and on technical grounds. I have got a lot of value from Will's videos and content, I respect what he does, purchased his book moreso to support his future content and show my appreciation than for the book itself. And I very much appreciate him creating, promoting, and hosting this forum, and recognize his right to run it as he sees fit.
That said, the value of this forum for me, and I supect for most here, is the community, Will is a valuable part of that, as are the moderators, and I appreciate what y'all do and provide, but the dozens of regular posters and hundreds of occasional posters sharing information, exchanging ideas, helping eachother, teaching and learning and sharing is what makes this community special.
I do not consider other members posts and comments to be Will's and I do not consider my own posts to be Will's. And editing or even deleting content is not 'stealing' anything
from him (though deleting content out of spite is immature, and does negatively effect the community). This is a community made up of individuals, and its a community that has value because of the collection of individuals. Will has some right of use to our content as the host of this forum (per the terms of service), and I suspect most of us are happy granting that access in return for all the value we all get from this forum.
But the idea that everything on this forum 'belongs' to Will, or that deleting one's own content is 'stealing content' from Will, leaves a very sour taste in mouth. It runs afoul of the spirit of community, and collaboration, and sharing that I have always associated with this forum.
I recognize people purposefully deleting content maliciously is a problem, but the concern should be that it harms the community and we lose valuable information, not that it might theoretically deprive Will of revenue or content. And the fix shouldn't be a bigger problem than the problem it fixes.
Maybe a long, but limited timeframe of a week or two would be a good compromise. If a significant amount of members posting valuable content are getting angry and deleting content maliciously within 1 or 2 weeks of posting, there is probably a much bigger problem than edit time limits. A long edit limit like that would still allow editing for most legitimate reasons for a reasonable amount of time but prevent people from retroactively deleting all their posts.