One of the features of bbPress is the ability to allow users to go back to edit forum posts that they’ve made. The time setting can be adjusted but after the edit time runs out, the user should not be able to edit their post.

But I’ve discovered that users can get around this by doing the following:

1) when the edit link is still active, click on it and open the new ‘edit’ window in the bbPress forum. Then either stay here or after the edit window has opened, go forward (back where you started from)

2) when the time runs out, simply go back one page in your browser to the edit page that was previously opened

3) from there edit (write, erase, format, etc.) and then click on the submit button

This allows forum posts to be edited even after the time has run out. In fact, a user can go and make repeated edits as long as they can navigate back to the editable window instance in their browser history.

I’m going to see if I can edit this post right here by doing this. Let’s see… waiting for time to run out…

EDIT1:
ok the timer has run out and the edit link is no longer there… seems to be set at 5 minutes but I didn’t really time it that accurately, now to see if I can edit this! If you’re reading this, then I was able to edit my post after the timer ran out and the link disappeared.

EDIT2: yup, it worked. Now to see if it will work again. If you can read this second edit, then I was able to go back in my browser and edit my post again…

EDIT3: well, you get the idea. The user can edit indefinitely as long as they keep the ability to go back in their browser and their browser history includes the edit page. Go ahead and replicate this to see for yourself.

[@robin-w Moderator 10 years, 8 months ago]

Ok- life’s not perfect, and thanks for pointing out that clever posters can cheat the timeout.

I’m not quite sure why this is a concern as such, except in heated debates when people may want to alter what they said. On those sorts of forums I find that mods soon close such subject down.

[@synaptic Participant 10 years, 8 months ago]

Robin, seriously? I don’t share your flippant view of this issue. If there is a wide gaping backdoor to editing posts, then it means that this feature needs to be revisited and the bug fixed.

I’m not saying that this is a critical issue or that forums all of a sudden will be thrown into disarray! lol… not at all 🙂

But I am saying that if you have a feature which says, “You can edit only within 5 minutes, not after that” then that feature **should** work exactly as described.

Currently it doesn’t. And this matters.

What’s the point of having it if it doesn’t work as it should?

I totally reject sweeping this under the rug with a shrug and the old pablum, “life’s not perfect”

I hope you see the validity of the issue I’m raising.

[@robin-w Moderator 10 years, 8 months ago]

‘Robin, seriously?’ – yes, but it’s just my view 🙂 I’m just a bbPress user who tries to help others.

Still not sure what being able to edit after a timeout actually gets you, but if others see it differently, then maybe the authors will tackle this.