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Manually clear saved question drafts

If I start to ask a question, and then never post it because I have found the answer myself, or realized that it was a "stupid question", then the site remembers what I typed for ever, and I always have to delete it before trying to ask another question. Is there a way to clear the question input text?

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  • Is the old text even preserved when you actually ask another question? If so, then I guess that's a bug.
    – Arjan
    Aug 21, 2011 at 17:30
  • No, it is not preserved, but atm I seem to be trying to ask many questions, and then not posting them, so it I notice it more clearly. Also, it does seem to be a duplicate, as you said.
    – Sebastien Diot
    Aug 21, 2011 at 17:53

2 Answers 2

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You can replace the text with a single space and wait for the draft to save. (You'll see the draft saved message appear when this has happened.)

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    While that's true, it does seem a bit...intrusive to have to clear the input and then hang around 'til the timer removes/'resaves' the entered text...
    – David Thomas
    Aug 21, 2011 at 17:40
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    Or, @David, isn't a bit odd to want to clear the saved question to start with? It's only visible when starting to write (a new) question.
    – Arjan
    Aug 21, 2011 at 18:01
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    Please, please fix this. I hate getting caught in the question trap, with the site always thinking I'm trying to answer the question.
    – Lance Roberts
    Aug 21, 2011 at 18:12
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This is really bad UI design.

I'm always getting caught in the trap, where I start answer, realize that I don't want to finish, but then everytime I go to that page (until I answer another question) it brings up the text. There have been times when I've automatically posted an answer that I then had to delete, because I'm moving fast and didn't think of my ghost answer being there.

What's so hard about a cancel button for the draft (like we have for the Edit)?

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  • Just in case: if the cancel button would always be visible, and then would also clear the text, then to me that is like an evil <imput type="reset"> button. Then: no, please. (But surely the team can figure out something smarter.)
    – Arjan
    Aug 21, 2011 at 18:25
  • @Arjan, I want it to actually clear the draft cache, so that I don't keep getting the page with the pre-filled (maybe blankly) box. I want it to completely forget that I tried to answer that question. I'm not really hung up on the implementation details.
    – Lance Roberts
    Aug 21, 2011 at 18:35
  • +1 We definitely agree on this! Even if it hurts absolutely nothing, I hate seeming remnants of an abandoned answer there. I compulsively obsess about things like this.
    – Cody Gray - on strike
    Aug 22, 2011 at 12:40

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