All,
I enjoy helping others but I as I try to make reply's in a short time period, I run into this...
The message has the following error or errors that must be corrected before continuing:
You have exceeded the number of posts you can make in a 5 minutes period. Please try again later.
What does one have to do to be more helpful?
Post in the right section of the forum?
The 5 minute restriction is to stop spammers (and really seems to work; spam is way down). After 100 posts, the limit is removed.
It is a real inconvenience to honest people who do not have the right to modify their message without waiting 5 minutes.
I understand that limiting the number of consecutive post has reduced the number of spam but I do not think that blocking the changes to be useful in the fight against spam.
Continue to block new posts but allow changes without time restrictions.
It is a real inconvenience to honest people who do not have the right to modify their message without waiting 5 minutes.
I see it as an encouragement to get it right first time.
68tjs:
It is a real inconvenience to honest people
I agree. But changes to the Forum are very slow.
Continue to block new posts but allow changes without time restrictions.
Would this allow spammers a backdoor?
...R
Robin2:
Would this allow spammers a backdoor?...R
Not really - you'd still have the five minute bar on new posts.
AWOL:
Not really - you'd still have the five minute bar on new posts.
I presume, then, that you will use your position of influence (or authority, even) to get the Forum developers to facilitate this change 
...R
Robin2:
I presume, then, that you will use your position of influence (or authority, even) to get the Forum developers to facilitate this change...R
Ah yes.
My influence. 
Actually, I'm happy with the five minute bar as it is, but I'd limit to far fewer posts, even as low as 20 or 25
You can preview any of your posts (i really encourage anyone to do that anyway).
That way you will see your post as it would be seen after submitting it (with some limits, it isn't perfected yet).
And it allows you to read through it and scan for mistakes.
I use it if i'm going to post links or images (which is essentially the same thing), to see if they will work or not so i don't have to go back and edit my post.
Is the limit also active if you use this preview ?
i.e. will you be prevented from previewing a few times within 5 minutes ?
If not, that's the way to go about without being bothered by the limit, and for other users to not be bothered with posts that are edited while a reply is typed.
MAS3:
Is the limit also active if you use this preview ?
i.e. will you be prevented from previewing a few times within 5 minutes ?
If not, that's the way to go about without being bothered by the limit, and for other users to not be bothered with posts that are edited while a reply is typed.
I do not speak for me (I have over 4000 posts 
) but for honest beginners who learn to use Arduino boards and also Arduino forum.
Allow them to edit their posts without 5 minutes period is, for me, the minimum.
I have seen first posts from new members which look innocent enough, but then were edited to contain numerous links to illegal copies of films. That doesn't seem to happen now the anti-spam measures are in place.
Now that the origin of 5 minutes is known, what do you think will happen?
New members will write about anything until to reach 100 posts.
Or they will quit the forum.
Is that the cure is not worse than the disease ?
100 posts is really too high.
I don't agree.
Have you been here when a low number of moderators were active, and spammers (bots) were doing their thing ?
Exactly that what dannable described, happened.
First some erratic post (probably to test whether a post was possible or not), and a moment later it was filled with all kinds of crap, which then quickly multiplied all over the place.
Some solution to the complaint was offered, and there is a very valid reason for the limitations.
The good always suffer from the malicious, this is no exception.
Be meticulous while typing any post, just like when you are writing code.
Testing your post is like testing your code too.
Robin2:
I presume, then, that you will use your position of influence (or authority, even) to get the Forum developers to facilitate this change
Very amusing. There is a backlog of a year or so on somewhat more urgent matters.
I don't see the issue with having to wait five minutes to make a new post. However editing is a different matter. There is a bug report on that:
That bug report has been there for 2 months, and it was submitted by an Arduino employee! (00alis). So if she can't get things fixed, and she works in the building, what hope do we have?
Also, thanks to spammers selling their damn "love potions" and flooding this, and other, sites with their crap, most forums and similar have had to implement this sort of stuff. Blame the spammers and their insidious desire to make money out of their junk products. Don't blame the forums who have to spend more and more time cleaning up after these dickheads.
MAS3:
You can preview any of your posts (i really encourage anyone to do that anyway).
Generally foolish not to do so.
One could argue that the "Post" option should not even appear before the preview window. Might even deter spammers slightly more.
Just another vote - the 5 minute limit, ESPECIALLY ON EDITS, really hurts the forum. My post says I can't set the "flags" on my chip, but I meant the fuses. I answered a response from someone which made no sense (because they read my wrong post) now I'm sitting on my butt unable to fix it.
So everyone sees a bad post, and I'm not wasting one of my precious 5 minute posts to fix it.
2 posts per 5 minutes would work, 2 per ten might even work, and editing seems pretty reasonable.
But as is pretty clear, it's not a problem because people don't know about it, so I'll stop trying to explain why. If I can do anything to help, let me know!
You don't seem to get it.
It wouldn't be the 1st. time some spammer makes a post, trying to see he (it) can do that, and then edit it into a shameless spam.
You wouldn't believe how often forums like these are probed for spamming possibilities.
As stated before, read your post before clicking any button.
And if you click a button, click the Preview button.
That should prevent the problem you just described.
Learn to live with it for your next 33 posts, and be as meticulous while composing a post here, as you need to be when writing code.
I've used loads of forums in the past and never come across this limit before. I was caught out because my finger slipped and my post was posted before it was finished. I couldn't edit it for 5 minutes.
Other forums use a captcha or similar to avoid spam, why not this one?
I'm experienced with 'c' and microcontrollers, although new to Arduino. I'd like to help others. But to get 100 posts it will take at least 9 hours of work , probably much longer in practice. Does it really need that long to prove I'm not a bot or spam?