Getting back the line you cut: what changes when earlier versions are kept

On X, editing a post after it's up is only available to paid accounts, and only for a short while after posting. Most stay exactly as they went up. Posts therefore tend to be rewritten several times before going live.

Among people who rewrite a lot, one story comes up often: a sentence they deleted turned out to be needed later, and it was gone because they'd written over it.

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What happens when you edit in place

• Deleted sentences disappear. Each edit replaces the one before, so getting a sentence back depends on memory.
• Big rewrites feel risky. With no way back, even a post you don't like gets only small changes.
• You can't compare versions. Without before and after side by side, it's hard to tell whether an edit made things better.

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Keep the earlier version

The common advice is to keep a copy of the current version before a big rewrite. Some people duplicate the file. Others move the lines they're about to cut to the bottom of the post. The methods differ, but the goal is the same: once you know nothing you delete is lost, you can rewrite more boldly.

In the tool I'm building, each channel keeps its own versions, and one is added each time you save that channel. Open the “History” screen, load an earlier version and save it, and it's added as a new version while the current one stays as it is.

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Going back is your call

Even with earlier versions kept, only rereading tells you which one is better. Only the writer can judge whether a cut line was just hard to let go of or whether the post really needs it.

When you edit, do you write over the post, or keep earlier versions?