Is there a way we can ignore the 6 character requirements if we're only adding a code tag for a question? Sometimes I see people have included code, but they haven't formatted it properly so it doesn't actually appear in the question. When you go in to edit, you can't because adding four spaces doesn't fulfill the requirement. Now you have to go in and make trivial, sometimes questionable changes in order to meet this requirement.
1 Answer
Never make trivial, questionable changes in order to meet length requirement. If you don't have reputation for edit you think is needed, post a comment so OP or passing-by 2k user can fix it. See this discussion on network-wide meta - Especially this comment by a moderator:
Jeff and waffles have stressed, multiple times, that if you find that rare instance that it's just a minor edit of under 6 characters, just let a 2k user handle it. Because 2k users don't need to bother 2 other users just to get their edit through.
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The with here is you cite a reference answer that completely contradicts itself. She states in her answer, "Usually, in a post that forgets that kind of formatting, there's often at least one other error to be found. A miscapitalized letter, an extra space, or often just another formatting error of a different sort." to which she later appends the quote you mention as a comment. All of the things she instructs a user to search out are trivial items of change and ones she later states should be left to 2k users.– o_OCommented Oct 14, 2013 at 14:00
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As a matter of fact, with the exception of forgetting to indent a code block, any edit I can remember made by myself or on one of my own posts has been trivial. Code is the most important aspect of a question and should have rules supporting this. There are cases where the asker does not speak English well and needs a lot of help getting their question to an understandable state, but this not always the case. The overwhelming majority of everyone taking part in the discussion you cited agreed this is a silly rule.– o_OCommented Oct 14, 2013 at 14:03
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@RKS A lot of trivial but valid changes makes a good substantial edit. Making invalid changes only to hack around limits is not so good. And yes, code is most important part of a question and for that very reason there is a rule and custom not to edit code by others. On the other side, code blocks are often abused by low-rep users, for example to post error messages or link lists - one more reason to prevent adding them by users with lower reputation.– MołotCommented Oct 14, 2013 at 14:15
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@RKS anyway, this limit is network-wide, so you probably have better chance to attract attention of someone who can change this if you ask there. But I don't see this happening. Last but not least, I was 2k user there after about 2 months. Here after ~3 weeks. And I'm not some kind of genius. Can't you just wait a tiny bit and then edit as you see fit without these limits?– MołotCommented Oct 14, 2013 at 14:23