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Here is an edit I made today, to correct a misspelled library enum in an answer. Since the edit was only one character, I also had to add a superfluous sentence to get over the character limit required to edit a post.

I've hit this problem before in other edits, always in code snippets. Since the edit limit exists to prevent trivial edits, and since there are many cases where one character code edits are not trivial (= to == etc), would it make sense to have a lower edit minimum inside code snippets?

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    By changing = to ==, you could be answering "what is wrong with this code?"
    – please delete me
    Dec 19, 2011 at 6:04
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    I meant in edits to an answer - where it's clear from the words of the answer that they've mistyped something in the supplied code.
    – Timothy Jones
    Dec 19, 2011 at 6:06
  • Just nitpicking, don't mind me.
    – please delete me
    Dec 19, 2011 at 6:06
  • I agree that it's a bad idea to edit a question to fix obvious typos ;)
    – Timothy Jones
    Dec 19, 2011 at 6:06
  • Users with full edit privileges don't have this limitation. You have to realize that as a user with less than 2,000 reputation, you're getting 2 reputation for your edit. Is removing a letter from a post really worthy of 2 reputation? - Related Question
    – animuson StaffMod
    Dec 19, 2011 at 6:11
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    voted up ) I am not so frequent at SO to gain 2000 rep. quickly ))
    – ジョージ
    May 15, 2012 at 1:28
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    @animuson: No, so the solution is "Small edits don't get reputation". Not "Small edits are completely banned."
    – endolith
    Nov 21, 2012 at 17:40

2 Answers 2

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When you get full editing rights you can perform smallish edits. Till then, we strongly want to discourage one letter edits. In general if a letter needs some moving around (even in code), there is almost always something else that needs fixing.

Like a lower case instead that is starting a sentence (for instance).

In this case, I believe this rule ensures edits are substantive products and saves our suggested edit queue from a slew of tiny micro-edits that do not go far enough.

There may be an exception where all that is neded is a one letter fix. However, it is a very rare edge case, not a general rule.

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    You should certainly encourage more substantial edits, but not require them. Completely banning people from fixing answers because the fix happens to be small is insane.
    – endolith
    Nov 21, 2012 at 17:41
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    > "fixed a critical error in code. Also, reworded the title to meet the 6-character limit"
    – John Dvorak
    Jun 27, 2013 at 6:28
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    This answer doesn't say what to do if it's the exceptional case.
    – Sonic the Anonymous Hedgehog
    Dec 10, 2017 at 22:46
  • @SonictheInclusiveHedgehog Add an extraneous  
    – endolith
    May 4, 2018 at 23:58
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The best way would be to explain the error in a comment. It could be effected in the next edit along with other corrections.

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  • I disagree. The answer/question will still popup in the list of new posts, but it is more communication involved.
    – user unknown
    Mar 2, 2012 at 5:36

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