[bccdee]

> Admitting you were wrong requires not erasing the evidence of what you said.

I don't think there's really an obligation to announce to newcomers, "hey, an earlier version of this post was overly inflammatory." But you should be forthright about your mistake to people who confront you about it, which is what's happening in the forum thread you linked. I think this is all fine.

[kragen]

If those newcomers are following a link from someone who was commenting on the earlier version, I think there is.