To correct or not to correct?

[Conchita]

If this wasn't an ESL forum, I probably wouldn't bother suggesting this, but I do think we should give the matter of post subjects some more thought.

Don't you think that reading the same mistake/s over and over again (as is the case with thread titles of popular posts) is highly counterproductive, especially for ESL learners?

We should certainly respect the author's choice of a subject title, if you ask me, but I'm sure everybody would be happier if at least the most basic corrections could be made when necessary.

Thanks for any comment on this.

[Slava]

Dear Conchita,
can you please inform me about incorrect subjects
e.g.
WAS: conditional clause
IS: conditional clause
I make these changes. Otherwise you can make the changes yourself (if you are moderator).
Normally Torsten makes corrections, but now he is in Spain (vacation).
Many thanks for your question,
Slava

[Yankee]

Hi Conchita

I support your idea. I also think it would be good to let the poster know about the change somehow -- either via some sort of automated e-mail (which would naturally only be possible to do with registered members) or via a short moderator's note in the first post itself.

If a member disagreed with a change (for whatever reason), I think it would also be good to be able to work out a compromise solution -- perhaps via PM, for example.
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[Yankee]

[Conchita]

Thanks for your suggestions, Amy!

[Yankee]

Well, thanks for the thanks, Conchita.

It's too bad that the suggestion was nixed without so much as a word or any discussion.

I do know that there has been consternation from various members (in the past) over mysterious changes made to the titles of their thread(s). Obviously, it's not just misspellings, grammatical errors and four-letter words that are being "corrected" here, though. And that does tend to come across rather like censorship and/or dictator tactics, doesn't it?
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[Yankee]

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I wonder whether I'll ever find out who changed the name of the "Errors in the tests" thread. The title of that thread was changed about two weeks after I made my suggestions here in your thread, Conchita.

Since the original title didn't contain any misspellings, grammatical errors or four-letter words, and had been in existence since the beginning of July, such an abrupt and unexplained change seems quite strange to say the least.
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[Conchita]

[Yankee]

Hi Conchita

I didn't notice the change for a couple of days either.

However, I have now discovered that, as the initiator of that thread, I also have the ability to change the title back to its original form. I have now done so, assuming that someone with moderator functionalities might have inadvertently clicked on a wrong button and changed the title somehow.

If the title of the thread was intentionally changed by one of the moderators, would you (or whoever it was who saw the change as necessary) please let me know? Thanks.
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