# Cannot edit posts in PMs when silenced

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591
**Category:** Bug
**Tags:** pr-welcome
**Created:** [May 10, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591 "2023-05-10T21:02:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![twofoursixeight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/twofoursixeight/32/574822_2.png) [@twofoursixeight](https://meta.discourse.org/u/twofoursixeight)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591/1 "2023-05-10T21:02:53Z")

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When silenced: I cannot edit posts in personal messages. I can only choose to delete or reply. This behavior does not seem intended.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/0/c/a/0cafb7baf3aae63776f1edf190b64ab7f13c1798.jpeg)

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### Author: ![Canapin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/canapin/32/119591_2.png) [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2023, 7:58am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591/2 "2023-05-11T07:58:38Z")

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A silenced user can’t create topics, post replies, initiate or reply to a chat discussion (whether it’s a channel or a personal/group chat), but is able to initiate or reply to PMs.

Not being able to edit a PM seems indeed a bit off considering the described rules.

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### Author: ![Lhc\_fl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/lhc_fl/32/268115_2.png) [@Lhc\_fl](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lhc_fl)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2023, 9:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591/3 "2023-05-11T09:13:02Z")

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By the way, if they can’t edit, I hope silenced users shouldn’t also be able to delete their own posts.

I once had a user get silenced, then she mass deleted her posts to destroy her troll history, and then slandered us of unfairly silencing her.

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### Author: ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2023, 6:25am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591/4 "2023-05-16T06:25:04Z")

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I like the idea of banning delete, but I worry that the word “silenced” would not properly describe the user state at that point. Feels kind of “frozen” at that point.

I wonder if in this case suspension is a better path to take than silencing?

Regarding the OP, putting a #pr-welcome on amending the guardian to allow editing inside PMs.

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### Author: ![Lhc\_fl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/lhc_fl/32/268115_2.png) [@Lhc\_fl](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lhc_fl)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2023, 6:54am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591/5 "2023-05-16T06:54:32Z")

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Yes it is more like “archive” user, with the old silencing method is more like “close” user 😄

Maybe it’s reasonable to have three different states. Suspended users cannot log in, but sometimes you also want these users to continue reading restricted topics. (This is just a brainstorm on my part, not a feature request)

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### Author: ![twofoursixeight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/twofoursixeight/32/574822_2.png) [@twofoursixeight](https://meta.discourse.org/u/twofoursixeight)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2023, 4:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cannot-edit-posts-in-pms-when-silenced/264591/6 "2023-05-16T16:36:51Z")

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The problem stated is that in the personal message, I cannot edit, so I instead have to create another message with the correction. This can get really messy.

> [@Lhc\_fl](#):
>
> By the way, if they can’t edit, I hope silenced users shouldn’t also be able to delete their own posts.

While silenced, I can still delete posts, which can become problematic for some - outside of a personal message:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/c/2/2/c22baa34a8cbba09e21d9a6455a92cc1f9941f46.png)  
I think:

- don’t allow people to delete posts outside of PMs because of @Lhc_fl’s story below:

> [@Lhc\_fl](#):
>
> I once had a user get silenced, then she mass deleted her posts to destroy her troll history, and then slandered us of unfairly silencing her.

- allow people to edit posts inside of PMs since it can get really messy. Since you cannot edit, corrections have to be done by creating more replies.
