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I agree with Scott - Facebook practice that you could delete your post (including all comments below it) or entire comments thread under your comment - is good one. And sometimes it allows to reduce noise ratio significantly. 

Your own post or comment is yours - you should be able to change your mind and edit or delete it easily. Forum software just should be able to handle it gracefully and transparently (i.e. marking properly that this post or comments has been edited at  XXX UTC)

Let' start from the fact: HabraHabr practice to limit ability to edit comment to post with a couple of weeks, and edit your comment with a couple of minutes is insane. Nobody does it and it's very inconvenient.

It might make sense for high-traffic community as HabrHabr but will not make any sense here:

  • I want to be able to edit my comment while topic is vibile. At any time [though keeping editing history available, as Facebook does is a good practice];
  • And I want to be able to post new comments to any old post without any restriction.

Who knows how life will go and how old idea might become relevant in a couple of years after?

What is the reason for not allowing it?

Reasons for allowing editing at any time: 

  1. I discover after the timeout period that I posted personally identifiable information.
  2. I post a confusing question and through a couple comments over a span of days realize the error.  I change the original post so that future readers don't experience the confusion.
  3. It's my content and I should be able to change it without a reason.

 

Reasons for allowing deletion of own posts:

  • I post a thread asking a question and immediately realize I just had a typo.  There is absolutely no need for the post to exist.
  • I post in the wrong group/community.
  • It's my content and I should be able to delete it without reason*

 

Reasons for allowing deletion of own comments:

  1. Someone asks a question and I post a comment that I later realize is stupid and embarrasing.  I could edit it, but why waste the space?
  2. I post a comment on the wrong topic (it happens)
  3. It's my content and I should be able to edit it without reason.

 

*Please note in my original post I suggested that  we could only delete posts we made that don't have any responses.  If someone else has taken the time to address my topic I have no right to delete their thoughts.