Facebook took its sweet-ass time in allowing members to edit comments made on status updates, and even then, the feature was very sparse and limited.
A while back, Facebook introduced the option to edit a comment immediately after posting, in the event of a typo or premature send — which often results in a half-comment, or a poorly considered quip.
But like many features, Facebook’s comment editing function was a bit limited and the parameters unclear — it seemed that if someone posted something else immediately after you, or after an undefined period of time, the option to edit your comment disappeared.
It’s a first world problem to be sure, but it was a bit of a pain if you spent a long time composing a well-considered and thoughtful reply only to be unable to edit without deleting or reposting your words. In message board and forum etiquette, deleting entire posts is considered poor form, and on Facebook, it forces you to repost out of context if other comments have been added.
But our long national nightmare is now over — Facebook’s editing feature for all comments is going live. What Facebook comment editing won’t do, however, is cover your tracks. So if you post an ill thought-out rant or insensitive assessment, and alter your words, Facebook is going to brand your comment with a scarlet “edited.”
“When someone clicks on the word, a window will pop up showing your original comment and the edited version — so don’t think you will be able to get away with making controversial comments and then changing your mind. This feature is also more likely to be useful to correct typos.”
As the post points out, however, Facebook’s editing function will be a definite boon to those of us with autocorrect-happy smartphones.