How do you withdraw an answer?

[boobesque]

in a thread in news Andy Hughes suggested someone withdraw their answer, can you do that? if so how? i often spot mistakes after i have posted and its very annoying!

[netibiza]

Me too - just as I've pressed the "submit" button I see a huge spelling mistake or whatever and cannot stop it.

[littleoldme]

I don't think you can. I think what Andy Hughes meant was that the offending poster should make another post retracting his earlier comment.

[netibiza]

I realise that, but sometimes one don't want to whole AB to see what a silly mistake one's made and only wish one could delete our own answers.

[flamingo97]

Other message boards have an edit facility but do not think this one does. Perhaps that would be a good idea. I would certainly like to see one.

[jno]

not just the whole AB but the whole world, neti. My English teachers, for instance! But if people could withdraw answers whenever they felt like it, threads would be left not making sense, and the value of AB's archive would be undermined. You can 'withdraw' a comment as you do in real life, by apologising and saying you didn't mean it (I think the user in question has just done that). But your typos will live for ever.

<checks post letter by letter and presses 'submit'>

[bobtheturkey]

surely you dont retract a post just because someone tells you too?

[Drusilla]

When you post a long question, you are given the opportunity to check it all without having to scroll down. It might help if this facility could be extended to answers.

[woofgang]

not because some one tells you to, but because in the cool light of reason, you agree with them!!

[dml54]

Prerhaps a time delay where they are submitted but are held by AB for 5 mins - with the facility to 'unsend' the answer. Wish that you could do that with lots of things in life:>)

[bobtheturkey]

never admit your wrong bad tactics :)

[Woodsz]

If you have a Google search bar, there is a spell checker on that.

[Kenzie]

littleoldme hit the hail on the head; but moving on to "gaffes" I made one myself just a few minutes ago (Travel section) when I posted the same question twice. I always check back to see that my question has appeared and it wasn't there. As one's question usually pops up immediately, I posted again. On checking the second time there it was, twice. I felt such a twit! So, had to submit an explanation. I expect I made someone else feel better who has done exactly the same thing.

[Kerplunk]

If we had the ability to withdraw our answers the the mischeavious ones amongst us could wreak havoc and make threads appear to not make sense by posting ridiculous answers then withdrawing them later.

[dotjhawkes]

Oh I don't think anyone would do that, it would be just silly.

[Kerplunk]

hmmm, thought you might have something to say about that Dot !